President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Professor Anthony Owusu-Ansah as the Acting Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission.
The appointment, announced in an official letter, takes immediate effect and is in accordance with Article 195(1) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 24(1) of the Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767).
The official communication, signed by Dr. Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, stated that Prof. Owusu-Ansah’s appointment is pending the advice of the Lands Commission, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission, as required by law.
The letter also extended the President’s congratulations and requested the professor to confirm his acceptance within seven days.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah takes over from Surv. Benjamin Arthur, who has served in the position since August 2023 following the retirement of Surv. James Ebo Dadson.
Mr. Dadson had dedicated three decades of service to Ghana’s land administration sector, leaving behind a legacy of reform and institutional strengthening.
The elevation of Prof. Owusu-Ansah marks a new chapter for the Lands Commission amid President Mahama’s commitment to protect Ghana’s public and state lands.
A Scholar with Depth and Vision
Professor Anthony Owusu-Ansah brings to the role an enviable academic and professional track record.
He currently heads the Department of Land Economy at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where he serves as Professor of Real Estate Finance and Economics.
His scholarly journey began at KNUST, where he graduated with First Class Honours in Land Economy.
He later pursued a Master’s degree in Real Estate Management at the prestigious Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and subsequently earned his PhD in Real Estate from the University of Aberdeen, UK.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah is widely acknowledged for his expertise in real estate economics, finance, valuation, and land management.
As a professional member of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors and an Associate Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy, he is regarded as one of the foremost academics in real estate studies in Ghana and beyond.
Prior to joining KNUST, he served as an Associate Professor of Finance at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), where he also headed the Finance and Accounting Department and coordinated graduate programmes at the Business School.
He played an instrumental role in academic governance, serving on several board committees and on the Finance and Development subcommittee of GIMPA’s University Council between 2019 and 2021.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah’s research portfolio is both extensive and impactful. He has published over a dozen academic papers in top-tier international journals such as Housing Studies, Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, Habitat International, and the International Journal of Housing Market and Analysis.
His 2018 book, Construction and Application of Property Price Indices, published by Routledge (London), is considered a seminal contribution to real estate analytics.
His research interests span housing market analysis, hedonic pricing, index construction, behavioural finance, land management, and Land Information Systems.
Beyond academia, Prof. Owusu-Ansah has consulted widely for private clients and corporate bodies on crop compensation valuation, market analysis, highest and best use assessments, and real estate investment valuation.
His expertise in hedonic modelling and property price index construction is especially crucial at a time when Ghana is exploring data-driven approaches to regulating land values, monitoring real estate trends, and curbing speculation.
As an external examiner, he has provided academic oversight to institutions across Ghana and South Africa, including the University of Mines and Technology (Tarkwa), the University of Cape Coast, the University of Johannesburg, and the University of Witwatersrand.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah assumes leadership of the Lands Commission at a pivotal time. The land sector continues to face challenges, including overlapping claims, encroachments, poor records management, and delays in land title registration.
His leadership is expected to bring renewed focus on transparency, data-driven land governance, and a people-centred approach to resolving longstanding land disputes.
Finally, his appointment signals a commitment by the President to inject professionalism and innovation into public service appointments, particularly within a sensitive institution like the Lands Commission, whose role touches on economic development, social justice, and national cohesion.
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