Names
No judge is involved in a name change, yet it only takes practical effect once the Ghana Card, the national identity record, shows the new name.
Ghanaians change their name through a statutory declaration followed by newspaper publication, with gazette notification where required; the Births and Deaths Registry amends birth records.
Key points
| Procedure | Statutory declaration, newspaper publication and, where required, gazette notification |
|---|---|
| Authority | Births and Deaths Registry |
| Statutory declaration | A declaration before a notary or commissioner for oaths |
| Gazette | Publication is required for official recognition |
| Ghana Card | Must be updated for the change to take effect in practice |
In practice
- Complete the statutory declaration, publish in the gazette, then update the Ghana Card.
- Keep certified copies; institutions rarely accept photocopies.
Where to go
- Births and Deaths Registry for the formal change.
Worth knowing
Because the Ghana Card underpins banking and SIM registration, the change is not effective in practice until the card is updated.
Adoption
Adoption is governed by the Children's Act 1998 as substantially amended by the Children (Amendment) Act 2016, which created the Central Adoption Authority within the Department of Social Welfare and imposed accreditation on adoption agencies. The High Court or the Circuit Court makes the order, which confers full parentage. Ghana's accession to the Hague Convention took effect in 2016, ending the period in which private arrangements with orphanages were common.
The audit finding is the single most important fact about adoption in Ghana. Most children in residential care were placed there because of poverty, not because they had no family. Adoption is therefore treated as a last resort, after reunification and kinship care have been explored, and the number of orders is deliberately small.
Before 2016, private arrangements with orphanages were routine and several were used as gateways for foreign adopters. Accreditation, the Central Adoption Authority and Hague accession ended that model. Families who relied on old contacts will find they no longer function.
Customary fostering, in which a child is raised by an aunt, a grandmother or a family friend, remains widespread and has no legal effect. It is not a step towards adoption and does not give the carer authority to consent to medical treatment, obtain a passport or inherit on the child's behalf.
Same-sex couples: same-sex relations are criminalised under the Criminal Offences Act, and further restrictive legislation has been before Parliament; no recognition and no joint adoption.
Key points
| Statutes | Children's Act 1998; Children (Amendment) Act 2016 |
|---|---|
| Authority | Central Adoption Authority, Department of Social Welfare |
| Court | High Court or Circuit Court |
| Fostering period | Supervised placement before the order |
| Accreditation | Mandatory for adoption agencies and placement bodies |
| Hague Convention | Party since 2016 |
In practice
- Apply to the Department of Social Welfare and attend the assessment and orientation.
- Complete the home study, medical reports, police clearance and financial verification.
- Be matched by the Central Adoption Authority with a child declared adoptable.
- Complete the supervised fostering placement.
- Petition the court for the adoption order and obtain the amended birth certificate.
Cost and coverage
Official fees are modest, and legal costs are moderate. The full process commonly takes eighteen months to three years. For diaspora applicants, travel and the parallel procedure in the country of residence dominate the cost.
Recent changes
The 2016 reform followed a national audit that found a large majority of children in Ghanaian orphanages had at least one living parent; the policy response has been deinstitutionalisation and family reunification rather than expanded adoption.
Where to go
- Central Adoption Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Community Development
- Accredited adoption agencies listed by the Authority
- High Court or Circuit Court of the region
- Births and Deaths Registry
Worth knowing
Orphanages that are not licensed cannot place a child, and several were closed after the 2016 reform; check accreditation before any contact.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ghana a party to the Hague Convention?
Yes, since 2016. Intercountry adoptions must go through the Central Adoption Authority and the authority of the receiving country.
Can I adopt directly from an orphanage?
No. Only accredited bodies may place children, and matching is decided by the Central Adoption Authority.
Why are so few children adoptable?
Because most children in Ghanaian residential care have living parents; policy prioritises reunification and kinship care over adoption.
How long does an adoption take?
Commonly eighteen months to three years, including assessment, matching and the supervised placement.
The general article: Adoption · Compare with another country
Assisted reproduction
Clinics operate under the Health Institutions and Facilities Act and the registration requirements of the Medical and Dental Council, with professional guidance from the Ghana Fertility Society and the obstetric society. IVF has been performed in Accra since the 1990s, and the country now has one of the more mature private fertility sectors in West Africa, attracting patients from neighbouring countries and from the diaspora.
Ghana's fertility sector is mature by regional standards, with centres that have been operating for two decades and staff trained abroad. The practical consequence is that patients from Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Burkina Faso travel to Accra.
Tubal factor infertility remains the leading female cause, a legacy of untreated infection and unsafe abortion, and it responds well to IVF. Male factor is common and under-investigated, as everywhere in the region.
Because the diaspora funds a large share of treatment, many cycles are scheduled around visits home. The monitoring schedule is the constraint: three to five scans over ten to twelve days, then the collection, which cannot be moved.
Key points
| Law | No dedicated ART statute; general health facility regulation |
|---|---|
| Regulation | Medical and Dental Council; Health Facilities Regulatory Agency |
| Surrogacy | Practised without a statutory framework |
| Centres | Accra principally, with provision in Kumasi and Takoradi |
In practice
- Treat tubal infection, fibroids and ovulation disorders where treatment is possible.
- Check the clinic's registration with the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency.
- Ask about annual cycle volume, the embryologist and age-banded live birth rates.
- Get a written quotation including medication, freezing and storage fees.
Cost and coverage
An IVF cycle costs GHS 35,000 to 70,000 including medication, with ICSI and donor cycles higher. The National Health Insurance Scheme does not cover IVF. Ghanaian costs remain well below European levels, which underpins the inbound flow from the sub-region.
Recent changes
The sector has professionalised, with several centres investing in full-time embryology and quality systems; legislation to license ART specifically has been discussed but not passed.
Where to go
- Fertility centres in Accra, and provision in Kumasi and Takoradi
- Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, for the work-up
- Health Facilities Regulatory Agency, for facility registration
- Ghana Fertility Society and the Ghana Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- Diaspora patients often combine treatment with a planned visit; plan around the monitoring schedule
Worth knowing
Donor and surrogacy arrangements have no statutory basis: parentage depends on the birth registration and on contract, which is a weak foundation.
Frequently asked questions
Is IVF regulated in Ghana?
Not by a dedicated statute. Clinics are registered as health facilities and follow professional guidance.
What does a cycle cost?
GHS 35,000 to 70,000 including medication, higher for ICSI or donor cycles.
Are donor gametes available?
They are used, but without a statutory register or limit on families per donor.
How long do I need to be in Ghana for a cycle?
Around two to three weeks, covering monitoring, collection and transfer.
The general article: Assisted reproduction · Compare with another country
Childcare
Two years of kindergarten are part of free basic education, which makes Ghana unusual in the region; day care below four is private.
Ghana incorporated two years of kindergarten, for children aged four to six, into free compulsory basic education, giving the country one of the highest pre-primary enrolment rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Below that age, crèches and day care are private and concentrated in urban areas, registered with the Department of Social Welfare. Extended family remains the main arrangement for infants.
Key points
| Private sector | Crèches and nurseries, concentrated in Accra and Kumasi |
|---|---|
| Oversight | Ghana Education Service for kindergarten; Department of Social Welfare for crèches |
Cost and coverage
Private provision costs around GHS 300 to 2,000 a month in urban private crèches and nurseries.
Recent changes
Kindergarten's inclusion in free basic education has produced enrolment levels well above the regional average, and attention has shifted to quality and teacher training.
Where to go
- Ghana Education Service for kindergarten; Department of Social Welfare for crèches
Worth knowing
Private crèches should be registered with the Department of Social Welfare; many are not, and registration is worth asking about.
Frequently asked questions
What does private provision cost?
Around GHS 300 to 2,000 a month in urban private crèches and nurseries, plus registration fees and materials.
The general article: Childcare · Compare with another country
Step-families
No automatic status for a step-parent, with adoption through the family tribunal and widespread informal fostering.
Children's legislation governs adoption and provides for formal fostering arrangements.
Ghanaian law provides for adoption through the family tribunal under the Children's Act, with social welfare involvement and a residence requirement, and for parental responsibility to be granted by court order. Informal fostering within the extended family is extremely common and works socially, but creates the familiar problems: no authority to consent to treatment, no travel documents, no inheritance.
Recent changes
The Department of Social Welfare has tightened adoption procedures and record-keeping following reforms aimed at bringing Ghana into line with international standards on intercountry adoption.
Frequently asked questions
How does adoption work in Ghana?
Through the family tribunal, with an application supported by the Department of Social Welfare, a period during which the child has lived with the applicant, and the consent of the parents where they can be traced. The Children's Act sets the framework and the tribunal decides on the child's welfare.
Can a step-parent get authority without adopting?
A court can grant parental responsibility or make orders about custody and access that reflect the actual caregiving arrangement. A written authority from the parent also helps in day-to-day dealings with schools and clinics, though it is not a substitute for a court order.
The general article: Step-families · Compare with another country
Inheritance
The Intestate Succession Law of 1985 was written to stop widows and children being evicted: it gives them the house, the household chattels and the bulk of the estate.
PNDCL 111, the Intestate Succession Law 1985, was a deliberate break with customary succession, under which a man's self-acquired property passed to his matrilineal or patrilineal family rather than to his widow and children. It gives the surviving spouse and children the household chattels and one house absolutely, then divides the residue mainly between them, with smaller shares to the parents and the customary family. The Wills Act 1971 allows testamentary freedom, subject to a court's power to make provision where a dependant suffers hardship.
Key points
| Statutes | Intestate Succession Law 1985 (PNDCL 111); Wills Act 1971 |
|---|---|
| Spouse and children | Household chattels and one house absolutely, plus the larger share of the residue |
| Customary family | Retains a small residual share |
| Wills | Permitted; section 13 allows provision where a dependant suffers hardship |
| Ejection | Criminal offence to eject a spouse or child from the matrimonial home before distribution |
| Letters of administration | Granted by the High Court or circuit court |
Recent changes
Proposals to replace PNDCL 111 with a modern Intestate Succession Bill, increasing the spouse's share and covering cohabitants, have been before Parliament for several years.
Worth knowing
Ejecting a surviving spouse or child from the matrimonial home before the estate is distributed is a criminal offence under PNDCL 111.
The general article: Inheritance · Compare with another country
General sources
- Ghana.gov — official government portal