Modern Trends in Ownership and Acquisition of Large-scale Lands in Teshie and Kasoa, Ghana

With the rising urbanisation of some parts of Ghana, the demand for land for various purposes is inevitable. The article assesses current trend of  large-scale land acquisition in Teshie and Kasoa. The study used semi-structured interviews to solicit primary data from key informants such as chiefs at Nyanyano-Kasoa and Tsie-We family head at Teshie, land guards, and investors who acquire large scale lands in these areas to identify the trends in such acquisitions between 2014 to 2019.The study uncovered that though there are variations in the nature of land ownership in Teshie and Kasoa, multiple sale of lands, poor land management practices, litigation and land guarding are common practices in both areas. The study found that there is an institutional gap as both the state and traditional institutions have not really done much to deal with the challenges  confronting LSLAs in these areas. It is recommended that land owning groups be engaged and educated by the Lands Commission in collaboration with Customary Lands Secretariat on proper ways to manage and sell their lands to avoid multiple sales and the conflicts that it brings. The Ghana police service should crackdown on land guarding which is an illegal activity. Keywords: Large-scale, Land Acquisition, Land Ownership, Customary Land Secretariat, Traditional Authoritie

Examining the Determinants of Location Attributes and their Effect on Hotel Pricing in the Period of the Covid-19 Pandemic in an Emerging Market

The emergence of COVID-19 and the consequent travel restrictions have led to a decrease in the patronage of hotel services in nearly all economies in the world. In this circumstance, location attributes have become even more important in hotel pricing and investment decision-making. It is even more interesting to see how this plays out in emerging economies such as Ghana. The study assesses the effect of location attributes on hotel pricing during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Tamale. A sequential mixed research design including Mixed Spatial Hedonic Price Approach, Exploratory Factor Analysis and key informant interviews was employed. A sample of 815 tourists and 163 hotels was used. Hotel class, road accessibility, age of building, and hotel rate are the key determinants of hotel pricing. Among these, the hotel class showed more significance in influencing pricing decisions in the COVID-19 period. The models show that the hotel class with positive coefficients are located outside the city centre of Tamale. This has resulted in increased Yield To Maturity because the hotels located outside the city centre received more clients, with grade one hotels showing a huge net income and good post-COVID-19 investment drive. The results show that potential hotel investors should consider hotel class as a major entry decision factor during and after periods of the pandemic

User and Systems Requirement Framework for Electronic Land Registration Systems Decentralisation in Ghana

Although land registration systems are constantly changing based on entrenched institutional frameworks, they cannot fulfill their technical objectives. Technical designs based on loopholes in the existing land registration system are the common steps in advanced countries. However, the missing link between the implementation of technical designs and their uses and users, affect the prospects of land registration decentralisation in developing countries. User and System requirements are used to integrate and enhance land registration services delivery across land information systems. This study assesses and develops framework for decentralised electronic land registration systems in Ghana. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect user and system requirement data from clients and technical staff of the Lands Commission in Accra. The framework pointed out five main policy outline strategies. These include land registration process modeling (process reduction and turnaround time monitoring), technical function (file tracking), the effect of changes in the registration loupe and absorption of land registration report, land registration workflow improvement, and the use of aerial images. The study recommends a systemic monitoring and evaluation of staff job roles

Student housing investment strategies through location and building services. A study of privately-owned student housing around university campuses in Northern Ghana

The study assesses the investment strategies private investors employ in student housing to remain viable by attracting students to the hostels with minimum impact of location on such decisions of students. The study used a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and interviews. The Hedonic Price Model through Multiple regression and ANOVA were used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data were analysed using themes. The study found a gradual rise in student housing rent with increasing distance from university campuses. As a strategy, investors in student housing distant from university campuses offer special building services over and above those hostels near campuses. It allows distant hostels to stay competitive in the student housing market. In addition, the paper highlights student's' preferences such as internet services, private lavatories and security, which investors should consider in the provision of student housing to enhance occupancy rate and eventually increase returns. The study also reiterates the need for specificity in using the Hedonic Price Model in housing research