AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
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The short answer
No. Under Ghana's Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), a non-citizen cannot hold freehold land, and section 10(6) bars any lease to a non-citizen for more than fifty years at any one time. A deed that tries to grant freehold to a non-citizen is void. A Nigerian, including an ECOWAS citizen living in Ghana, can take a lease of up to fifty years, renewable, and should register it at the Lands Commission.
The rule
Ghanaian law has restricted freehold for non-citizens for decades; it is commonly cited as Article 266 of the 1992 Constitution, and the Land Act, 2020 now sets it out in detail. As reported by Ghanaian sources:
- A non-citizen cannot own Ghanaian land outright (section 10(1), as reported by The Rio Times).
- No interest may be created that vests in a non-citizen a leasehold "for a term exceeding fifty years at any one time" (section 10(6), as quoted by Myjoyonline).
- A deed attempting to grant freehold to a non-citizen is void, not merely voidable.
- The fifty-year limit applies per grant, and the lease is renewable.
Being Nigerian and an ECOWAS citizen does not change this: a Nigerian is not a Ghanaian citizen, and the Act draws the line by citizenship.
Buying through a company
The Act treats a company as non-Ghanaian if more than 40% of its shares or ownership are held by non-Ghanaians, according to Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah. Such a company is a non-citizen for land purposes and faces the same fifty-year cap. Setting up a Ghanaian company with a Nigerian majority does not get around the rule, and using a Ghanaian nominee to hold shares for you creates legal risk of its own.
What you can buy
| Interest | Available to a Nigerian? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | No | Void if attempted |
| Leasehold up to 50 years | Yes | Renewable; registrable at the Lands Commission |
| Lease longer than 50 years in one grant | No | Barred by section 10(6) |
| Apartment or house on a lease | Yes | You take the remaining lease term on the land |
Example only: a lease granted to you in 2026 for the maximum fifty years ends in 2076. If you buy a house whose lease began in 2010 for fifty years, you get the remaining term to 2060, not a fresh fifty years. Ask your lawyer to write the start date, term and renewal terms into the indenture, and check the lease you are buying from. More on lease terms is in 50-year leases for foreigners.
Who can sell, and the Land Act's protections
Much land around Accra is stool, skin, clan or family land, held under customary law. The Land Act bars freehold in that land for anyone, and The Rio Times notes that family land is held by a lineage, so one seller may have only partial authority. Multiple sales of the same plot are a known risk.
The Act also addresses abuses. Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah summarise that unlawful control of land development, violence to block a lawful holder and extortion from landowners ("land guard" conduct) carry five to fifteen years' imprisonment on summary conviction. Where a spouse is selling property acquired during marriage, the other spouse's written consent is needed unless agreed otherwise.
If you were sold a "freehold"
Some sellers still market freehold to foreigners. Because the Act makes such a grant void, the document does not give you what it says. The Rio Times reports that freeholds held by non-citizens as at 22 August 1969 were converted by law into fifty-year leases, which shows how the law treats foreign freeholds generally. If you hold a document describing your interest as freehold, ask a Ghanaian lawyer what interest you actually have and whether the indenture should be corrected and registered as a lease before you build on the land.
What to negotiate in the lease
- Term: the full fifty years from the date of grant, not from an earlier date.
- Renewal: how renewal is triggered, on what terms and at what cost, written into the indenture.
- Ground rent: the amount, review dates and who it is paid to.
- Consent to assign or mortgage: the Act requires a lessor to decide within three months, or consent is deemed granted, according to Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah; confirm the indenture does not attempt to override this.
- Spouse: if you are buying with a spouse, name both of you; the Act deems spouses who acquire jointly to be parties.
Checks before you sign
- Instruct a Ghanaian lawyer licensed by the Ghana Bar Association, acting for you, not the seller.
- Get a search at the Lands Commission on the site plan; see searching land at the Lands Commission.
- Have a licensed surveyor walk the boundaries and prepare or check the site plan.
- For customary land, confirm the right chief, family head or customary land secretariat is granting the lease.
- Make sure the indenture states a term of no more than fifty years in your favour.
- Pay stamp duty and register the lease at the Lands Commission. The Rio Times reports that an unstamped instrument is inadmissible in evidence in Ghanaian courts.
This is information about the law, not legal advice; a Ghanaian lawyer should review your transaction.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme accounts do not hold cedis, so a Ghanaian purchase is paid from a Ghanaian account. If the money comes from savings in Nigeria, a Pryme account holds naira alongside dollars, pounds and euros, and Swap shows the rate and fee before you approve a conversion.
Questions people ask
Can foreigners own land in Ghana?
Not as freehold. Non-citizens can hold leases of up to fifty years at any one time under the Land Act, 2020.
Can ECOWAS citizens buy freehold in Ghana?
No. The rule is based on Ghanaian citizenship, and ECOWAS citizens such as Nigerians are non-citizens.
Can I get freehold in Ghana through a company?
No, if more than 40% of the company is owned by non-Ghanaians; it is then treated as a non-citizen.
Can a 50-year lease in Ghana be renewed?
Yes. The fifty-year limit applies to each grant, and the lease is renewable.
Sources
- Myjoyonline: Freehold, leasehold and the 50-year rule for foreign and diaspora buyers in Ghana (11 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Afriwise (Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah): Key highlights of Ghana's Land Act 2020 · accessed Oct 2026
- The Rio Times: Buying property in Ghana as a foreigner and what the law allows (17 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.