President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Gad Asorwoe Akwensivie as the Acting Administrator of Stool Lands, tasking him with spearheading the government’s ambitious agenda to reform land management and administration for accelerated national development.
In this capacity, Akwensivie will collaborate with traditional authorities, the Lands Commission, the National Development Planning Commission, the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, and other relevant agencies.
A seasoned professional with a wealth of experience, Akwensivie is a surveyor, lawyer, lecturer, and farmer. He brings over 25 years of expertise in land administration, with a track record spanning Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.
Prior to his new role, he served as an Associate at Awoonor Law Consultancy, Principal Valuer at Felix Dzubey and Co., and Head of Legal and ADR at COLANDEF Land & Property Rights.
Akwensivie’s journey with the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) began in 1999 when he completed his national service. In 2000, he was employed as an Assistant Stool Lands Officer and steadily rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief Stool Lands Officer.
Over his 23-year tenure, he played a pivotal role in operations related to mining, communications, legal affairs, and research.
He was instrumental in implementing the Land Administration Project and worked closely with Parliament on the passage of the Land Act 2020 (Act 1036).
His experience extends to engagements with key institutions such as the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department, the Lands Commission, and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority.
Akwensivie has worked with various metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies, traditional councils, and land-owning communities, representing OASL in legal matters and before commissions of inquiry. Additionally, he served as the Chief Editor of Our Heritage, the official journal of OASL.
Beyond OASL, Akwensivie has been actively involved in several government committees and initiatives. Between 2000 and 2023, he served on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) Presidential Transition Committees, Research and Statistics Working Group, Procurement Committees, and various editorial boards. He was also a member of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) Multi-Stakeholder Group at the Ministry of Finance from 2008 to 2016.
In 2009, he was appointed by the President to serve on the Public Servants Housing Loan Scheme Board at the Ministry of Works and Housing, later becoming its Chair from 2013 to 2016.
Akwensivie has also worked closely with international development partners, including the World Bank, African Development Bank, and GIZ.
Between 2015 and 2019, he was invited annually by the World Bank to speak at its land conference in Washington, D.C., where he provided insights into land-based investments in Ghana and Africa.
Akwensivie holds an impressive array of academic qualifications, including a BSc in Land Economy, an LLB in Law, an MSc in Environment and Development, an MBA in Finance, and a Doctor of Business Administration. He earned these degrees from institutions such as Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, University of East Anglia, London College of Management Studies, and the University of Leicester.
Additionally, he obtained his Barrister of Law certificate from the Ghana School of Law and holds multiple diplomas in land management.
He is a Fellow of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors, where he served on the Valuation and Estate Surveying Divisional Committee and the Board of Examiners.
He is also a member of the Ghana Bar Association, the International Federation of Surveyors, and the Commonwealth Association of Surveying & Land Economy. Currently, he serves as the President of the African Real Estate Society (Ghana).
Recognized as a leading land expert in Ghana and Africa, Akwensivie has authored over 30 publications, including the widely used Handbook on Land, Property & Estate Management in Ghana and Buying Land and Property in Ghana.
His research has shed light on critical issues, including the impact of donor-funded projects in Africa, challenges in Ghana’s mortgage sector, and the need for government intervention in the banking industry.