My research specifically focuses on lands acquisition processes, land conflict, and housing production in peri-urban Accra, Ghana

PhD student Divine sits in his PhD office
Divine Asafo
PhD student
Peri-urban development
Divine is a PhD student from Ghana who is researching about land acquisition, land conflicts and its effect on housing production in peri-urban Accra.

Background

Born in Accra, Ghana, I received my first University degree, BA (Hons) Geography and Resource Development from the University of Ghana, Legon in 2011. Afterward, I enrolled in and completed my National Service in T.I Ahmadiyya Senior High School, Wa in the Upper West region of Ghana, where I served as a Government Tutor for Form Two and Three.

In 2012, I started my Masters degree programme in the above-mentioned university, graduating with Master of Philosophy degree in Geography and Resource Development in March 2015 with a research support grant from PERIPERI U and USAID.

Before starting my PhD at the University of Sheffield, I was serving as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon.

PhD Research: Peri-urban development: land acquisition, land conflicts and its effect on housing production in peri-urban Accra, Ghana.

This research is part of a UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) funded project titled 'Living the Urban Periphery'. My research specifically focuses on lands acquisition processes, land conflict, and housing production in peri-urban Accra, Ghana.

Peri-urban areas in most African cities, particularly Accra, are in recent times experiencing rapid physical and economic transformation.

Significant among this transformation is the increasing residential development characterising the peri-urban space. However, the complexities surrounding land acquisition procedures coupled with associated land conflicts in most peri-urban areas of Accra are having a diverse effect on housing production.

The overall aim of my PhD research is to investigate and analyse the interconnection between these land acquisition processes, land conflicts and the extent to which they affect housing construction in peri-urban Accra.

I am particularly interested in understanding the dynamics of peri-urban land tenure systems; the institutional roles in managing these changing land tenures, the risks faced by house builders and landowners and finally, how land acquisition processes and land conflict is affecting the nature of houses produced in peri-urban Accra.

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