According to Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, small-scale mining has contributed significantly to the nation’s gold output, with the industry producing 712,405 ounces of gold last year.
He claimed that this brought the government nearly US$1,200,000,000 in export revenues and that all diamonds produced in the country in 2022, totalling 82,251.99 carats and generating US$3,900,000 in revenue, were from small-scale mining.
Mr Jinapor made the comment at the start of a two-day transformative discussion on artisanal and small-scale mining titled “Sustaining Environmental Security and Human Rights in Small Scale Mining Operations in Ghana” in Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality.
The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) developed the curriculum with the goal of bringing together various stakeholders to discuss the issue and work together to find a solution.
Politicians, traditional leaders, students, UENR members and staff, artisans and small-scale miners, civil society actors, representatives of large-scale mining firms, and the media all gathered.
Mr Jinapor stated that the small-scale mining sector employed thousands of people and supported the lives and livelihoods of millions of citizens.
He noted that the expanding illegalities linked with the industry, which result in environmental degradation, remained a national concern that required a collective effort to end.
Mr Jinapor stated that the government’s efforts to combat galamsey have been greeted with opposition owing to the actions of greedy and unscrupulous nation-wreckers who had been harming the environment for their personal gain.
He stated that, in response to the threat of illicit mining, the government had implemented policies and initiatives under the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP) to provide alternative means of income and livelihood to those involved in the problem.
Several young men and women had been employed in the Ashanti, Eastern, and Western North Regions in the production of seedlings and restoration of degraded mined areas, the Minister noted.
He stated that the Programme’s Apprenticeship, Skills Training, and Entrepreneurship module would be implemented later this year, training 5,000 youngsters in agro, technical, vocational, industrial, and mining skills.
As a result, Mr Jinapor praised the UENR for launching numerous unique programmes, including bachelor and graduate programmes in Sustainable Mining, Land Degradation Neutrality, and Sustainable Land Management, all of which aim to promote sustainable mining and environmental protection.
He advocated for an all-hands-on-deck approach to promote sustainable resource extraction practises and converting mined lands into productive agricultural fields, and he urged for increased education on responsible and sustainable mining practises.
