A total of 5,500 hectares of land have been lost to illegal small-scale mining, known locally as galamsey, according to an official at Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Paa Kwesi Schandolf a media relations officer at the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry says this is “equivalent to 7,500 standard football pitches!”
“To reclaim these lands and wage a strong, sustainable and competent war to end galamsey, about USD $10 billion is needed,” he stated in a social media post.
The John Mahama government has intensified efforts in recent years to clamp down on illegal mining, deploying military task forces and introducing community mining schemes to regularise operations.
But the problem persists, with environmentalists warning that water sources such as the Pra and Ankobra rivers are nearing ecological collapse.
Experts say Ghana — Africa’s second-largest gold producer — must balance the economic importance of artisanal mining with strict environmental regulations and livelihood support for miners.
Nothing new
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the government to declare a state of emergency to tackle the country’s worsening illegal mining crisis, accusing the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of failing to deliver on its promises to stop environmental destruction.
Speaking on The Forum aired on Asaase Radio, Tabitha Apegyine Ayilah a member of the NPP communication team said the NDC government has done little to curb galamsey since taking office, despite making the issue a campaign priority in the 2024 elections.
“There is actually nothing new that this government is doing that the NPP didn’t do,” she stated. “The last resort was for us to call for a state of emergency, and now that the NDC is in power, they have backtracked on their promises to the people.”
Ayilah accused the NDC of political inconsistency, noting that several of its senior figures previously supported a nationwide emergency declaration to assess and address the environmental devastation caused by illegal mining.
“We can mention more than ten leading members of the NDC who said the last resort is to call for a state of emergency,” she said. “We should keep telling government that this is not what you promised the people.”
Clergy warning
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Catholic bishops have urged President John Mahama to show “the courage of leadership” in confronting the country’s worsening crisis illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, warning that delay in decisive action amounts to betrayal.
In a statement, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) described galamsey as a “national emergency” that has poisoned rivers, stripped forests, and left farmlands barren.
They said the practice threatens food security, public health and national stability.
“Troubling responses”
The bishops said they raised their concerns directly with Mahama earlier this year but were met with “unsatisfactory responses focused narrowly on economic gain.”
At his 10 September media encounter, Mahama dismissed calls to declare a state of emergency in mining zones.
“This is profoundly troubling. The hour is late. Delay is betrayal. We appeal to President Mahama to show the courage of leadership,” the bishops said.