This article explores Ghana’s preventive measures for stemming the spread of the COVID-19 disease among its population and the socio-economic impact of these measures in urban marketplaces. It argues that Ghana’s COVID-19 approach in marketplaces was characterised by (1) improving hygiene conditions through disinfection of all markets, (2) closing down markets to enforce social distancing among traders, and (3) imposing a lockdown to decongest densely populated marketplaces. Yet the micro-geographies of Ghana’s marketplaces complicated the implementation of these preventive measures. The socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in marketplaces were evident in the increased food prices, the economic hardships associated with the lockdown directive, and the forceful relocation and decongestion exercises to enforce social distancing among traders. The hostile nature with which municipal authorities implemented the COVID-19 preventive measures in marketplaces is akin to how they sought to decongest inner cities prior to the emergence of COVID-19.

A study of the dynamics of building collapse in Ghana is lacking, notwithstanding the fact that several buildings have collapsed in recent times. This study analyzes the supervisory role and challenges of building inspectors in Kumasi to assess Ghana's progress toward minimal or zero incidence of building collapse. It adopts the stratified random sampling technique to select 27 out of 35 building inspectors of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), and a semistructured interview guide to gather data from same. Data gathered were presented and analyzed through tables and direct quotations. Findings revealed that, despite the legal requirement of notification by the developer, building inspectors are compelled to visit building sites to check on developers who may have begun development without notifying them. Many developers violate the legal provisions because of ignorance, delays in acquiring building permits, and the burden of transporting building inspectors at all stages of construction. Notably, building inspectors in Kumasi have not been able to control the rate of building collapse because of constraints such as inadequate logistics and manpower, and excessive political interference. In the current climate, the built environment will continue to pose a threat to human life and property investment. Although unpleasant to contemplate, the study concludes that Ghana may witness more building collapses in the near future, if the aforesaid challenges are not addressed. To avert this, it is recommended that building inspectors in Kumasi and Ghana be equipped and empowered by the state.

Land ownership and security of title have continued to dominate land management discourses in many developing economies, leading to a proliferation of studies that explore, among other things, the nexus between land title registration and land security, women’s access to land, innovation in agriculture, access to finance, and economic development. For many years, Ghana experienced minimal success in formalizing land ownership and title registration. However, public confidence and expectations were raised once more in 2008 with the merger of four disparate land agencies into the New Lands Commission (NLC) under the overarching ambit of the Land Administration Project (LAP). This article contributes to existing studies by evaluating the impact of the 2008 merger. This is accomplished by matching the project’s stated objectives with actual outcomes and situating the findings in the broader theoretical debate about land title registration and economic development. Using data gathered through interviews with officials of the Greater Accra Lands Commission and with prospective land title holders, the study concludes that there have not been any great gains in achieving the complete digitization of the title registration process and follow-up procedures. However, there has been a reduction in the turn-around time for processing land documents, from more than 36 months to about 3 months, as well as increased public awareness about the process of title registration. The study recommends further training of staff members of the NLC in handling the digitization process, institutionalization of anti-corruption and anti-bribery practices, and the introduction of a well-functioning customer feedback system.

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