Dr. Yao Graham, Coordinator of the Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Africa), has called for major reforms in Ghana’s mining policies to address the long-standing environmental, social, and economic challenges associated with the industry.
While acknowledging the attention on illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), Dr. Graham highlighted the expansion of large-scale mining activities into northern Ghana and the continued focus on gold extraction as key areas that need closer scrutiny.
Speaking at the TWN-Africa@30 event, themed “Organising for Equitable and Transformative Policies,” Dr. Graham stressed the importance of a balanced and inclusive approach to mineral exploitation.
He also pointed out the exclusion of affected communities from decision-making processes regarding mining projects and questioned the government’s persistent focus on large-scale mining. He argued that artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), in certain contexts, could offer more significant developmental benefits.
“The first intervention that TWN made about the negative impact of mining in this country was not around galamsey but about the pollution coming from the large-scale mines and their effects on communities. The struggles remain in the mining communities affected by the impact of large-scale mines. So, even as we worry about galamsey, we should also be interested in a way in which the mining frontier is spreading up north and there seems to be a relentless commitment to mining gold wherever it is found.
“We need to ask whether it is possible, or is it not necessary to think about gold within a larger framework which seeks a balanced outcome in terms of how minerals are exploited in terms of competition with other land use choices,” he stated.
Dr. Graham raised concerns about the lack of accountability in the governance of Ghana’s mineral resources, citing the close relationships between governments and large-scale mining companies.
“The issues of accountability of the government and public institutions for how minerals, which are public resources, are used and exploited. There is a de facto privatisation of these minerals with very little accountability and an axis between governments and large-scale companies in the exploitation of these minerals. There is also a question on the role affected communities play in decisions about the siting and development of projects.
“The place of artisanal mining is also an important issue. There is an overriding commitment in public policy to large-scale mining. So, even in areas where it is arguable that the strategy of prioritising small-scale mining will be more beneficial in a developmental sense, handing things over on a large scale seems to be out of the equation,” he stated.
#GhanaPolls2024
#CitiVerify
#ElectionBureau
