A Ghanaian governance researcher in the United States, John-Paul Adjadeh, has developed a pioneering digital invention aimed at transforming how land ownership and chieftaincy succession records are managed across customary communities in Africa.

The innovation, called the Customary Land Governance Mapping and Dispute-Tracking System (CLADTS), is a software-based platform that combines artificial intelligence, geospatial mapping, and secure digital record-keeping to reduce land conflicts, prevent double sales, and improve trust between customary authorities and statutory land institutions.

Across many parts of Ghana and West Africa, land is administered by traditional authorities using largely oral or paper-based records. This has often led to overlapping claims, prolonged disputes, and costly litigation. CLADTS seeks to bridge that gap by allowing chiefs, families, registrars, and buyers to upload land documents, map parcels digitally, certify transactions, and automatically detect potential conflicts before they escalate.

“The reality is that many land disputes are not caused by bad intentions, but by weak systems,” Adjadeh said. “CLADTS was designed to protect both customary authority and citizens by creating a transparent, verifiable, and culturally respectful digital record of land and succession.”

The system features geo-referenced mapping of land parcels, secure timestamping of records, and an AI-driven conflict detection model that flags overlapping claims and suspicious transaction patterns. It also supports integration with statutory land registries and can generate evidence packages suitable for mediation or court proceedings. Beyond land transactions, the platform also captures chieftaincy succession histories, family lineage records, and certified customary rulings, creating what experts describe as one of the first structured attempts to digitise customary governance without undermining tradition.

According to Adjadeh, the broader vision is institutional reform, not technology for its own sake. “This is not about replacing chiefs or customary systems,” he explained. “It is about strengthening them with tools that promote accountability, preserve history, and prevent conflict.”

Observers say the innovation could be relevant not only in Ghana but across countries grappling with land tenure insecurity and governance-related disputes. With land conflicts increasingly recognised as barriers to investment and social stability, solutions that combine cultural sensitivity with technological rigour are attracting growing attention.

CLADTS is currently positioned as a policy and governance innovation with potential applications in land administration reform, dispute prevention frameworks, and digital governance systems across Africa and beyond.”