LUPMIS redevelopment to enhance land use planning and management

By Juliet ETEFE ([email protected])

Stakeholders have begun efforts to enhance spatial planning and sustainable land management with a kick-off meeting for redevelopment of the Land Use Planning and Management Information System (LUPMIS).

This initiative aims to modernise land use planning through digital transformation, improving efficiency, data accuracy and stakeholder coordination.

The primary goal of LUPMIS is to integrate spatial and textual data into a comprehensive digital platform that improves the efficiency and effectiveness of land use planning and management.

LUPMIS was initially developed under the Land Administration Project (LAP) Phases 1 and 2 as an IT-based component of settlement planning. However, technological limitations at the time meant that the system was only available on standalone computers, requiring manual installations in different districts.

As such, by digitising and centralising planning information the system will reduce redundancy, enhance data accuracy and promote better coordination among stakeholders.

The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) programme and commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

It is co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) alongside Ghana’s Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA).

At the ceremonial event in Accra, key stakeholders – including government representatives, urban planners, Geographic Information System (GIS) experts, development partners and community leaders – gathered to discuss the system’s strategic implementation.

The meeting focused on data collection, GIS tool integration, policy framework alignment, and stakeholder collaboration.

Deputy CEO of LUSPA, Chapman Owusu-Sekyere, reflected on the challenges of past planning methods, emphasising the importance of modernisation.

“Previously, everything was done manually – plans were drawn on paper and issuing permits was a slow process. Now, we need a digital system that allows us to use computers to develop our towns, districts and settlements efficiently.

“It is important to meet present needs and demands, set realistic and forward-looking standards and foster outcomes that will drive sustainable development of our cities,” he stated.

With the redevelopment, LUPMIS will transition to a web-based system – allowing district assemblies and other stakeholders to access planning tools online from any location with an internet connection.

“There will be a component called the ‘public detail room’, where citizens can check approved plans and zoning regulations before purchasing land,” Owusu-Sekyere explained, adding: “This ensures that buyers make informed decisions, reducing disputes and unauthorised developments”.

Reading a speech on behalf of the Minister for MLGCRA, Dela Kemevor highlighted the  LUPMIS upgrade’s importance, saying: “With the upgraded LUPMIS, we will transition to an online permitting system that will streamline application processing, reduce human intervention and increase transparency”.

Component Manager at GIZ’s PAIReD programme, Laetitia Erny, reaffirms GIZ’s support for the project. “We are supporting the government of Ghana and LUSPA in redeveloping LUPMIS; having accurate spatial data is crucial for urban development, land management and policymaking,” she said.

Lead consultant on the project, Eckehardt Roth, elaborated that the LUPMIS system was initially developed in 2008 and needs an upgrade – this redevelopment will provide updated maps, accurate zoning data and improved permit processing tools for district assemblies.

The redeveloped LUPMIS will provide decision-makers with real-time data, fostering data-driven policies and improved governance in spatial planning.

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