Six foreign-owned companies, mostly run by Chinese nationals, are mining illegally across Ghana’s Ahafo Region, with only one holding a valid permit. This fact emerged during a Regional Multi-Stakeholder Mining Forum on Wednesday in Goaso. The meeting was organised by the Nature and Development Foundation (NDF) alongside the Forestry Commission, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), and the Minerals Commission.
Stakeholders in the region criticised law enforcement and regulatory bodies for failing to stop illegal mining, especially the operations involving foreign nationals. These activities break several Ghanaian laws. The Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), amended in 2019 by Act 995, reserves small-scale mining exclusively for Ghanaian citizens. Section 99 of the Act makes non-citizen participation a criminal offence.
Beyond mining without a permit, these companies also operate without approved Environmental Impact Assessments, violating the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1994 (Act 490). They discharge chemical waste into public rivers, breaching the Water Resources Commission Act, 1996 (Act 522).
The environmental damage caused is severe. Toxic waste contaminates community water sources, threatening health and wellbeing. The runoff of heavy metals like mercury and cyanide causes chronic kidney damage, neurological disorders, and respiratory illnesses among local residents. River ecosystems suffer from heavy siltation that kills aquatic life and destabilises habitats.
Deforestation linked to illegal mining strips forest carbon sinks and destroys wildlife habitats. This defies international environmental commitments under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The damage affects SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
Land degradation also threatens the region’s agriculture. Fertile cocoa and food crop farms turn infertile, cutting off income for farmers and risking food security.
At the forum, NDF Regional Coordinator Glen Asomaning said the event aimed to create “practical dialogue among key actors to halt forest destruction and enforce statutory compliance.” The platform’s theme was “Reducing Deforestation Caused by Pervasive Irresponsible Mining.”
Community members, local authorities, civil society organisations, and advocacy groups shared concerns about the ongoing illegal mining. The forum ended with a unified action plan calling on state institutions and security agencies to enforce laws without compromise.
Despite the laws and the forum’s efforts, the presence of foreign nationals mining illegally in the Ahafo Region illustrates a continuing challenge for Ghana’s regulatory and security apparatus. The environmental and social costs are mounting as illegal mining persists.
According to Joy Online.
