…as Veep confers with Lands Minister
By Eugene Davis
Ghana is preparing sweeping changes to the way its mining sector is governed, with plans to decentralise licensing decisions, introduce a new class of mining permits and tighten enforcement against illegal activity, as part of a broader reset of natural resource management.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said the reforms—anchored in proposed amendments to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703)—are being finalised for Cabinet approval. They are intended to modernise Ghana’s mining framework in line with global best practice, while correcting weaknesses exposed over more than a decade of implementation.
Mr Buah outlined the proposals during a working visit by Vice-President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to the ministry, part of her familiarisation tour of key government departments as the administration pushes ahead with its economic and governance reset agenda.
Bringing mining decisions closer to communities
At the heart of the reforms is the creation of District Mining Committees, designed to move decision-making closer to mining communities and curb the centralised licensing system that has long drawn criticism.
“For too long, licences have been issued in Accra without sufficient engagement with the people and authorities on the ground,” Mr Buah said. “We believe mining decisions must begin at the district level.”
Under the proposed system, prospective miners will first be required to engage district committees and traditional authorities before applications reach national regulators such as the Minerals Commission or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Local bodies would assess whether proposed sites threaten water bodies, forest reserves or other sensitive ecosystems, and make formal recommendations before licences are considered centrally.
The minister described the shift as a structural change aimed at strengthening environmental safeguards and restoring public confidence in mining oversight.
New licence tier and tougher enforcement
The government also plans to introduce medium-scale mining licences, creating a regulatory bridge between small-scale and large-scale operations. The aim, Mr Buah said, is to widen access to formal mining while encouraging operators with sufficient capital and technical capacity to comply with environmental and safety standards.
In a strong policy signal, the minister confirmed that Legislative Instrument 2462 has been revoked, reiterating the government’s ban on mining in forest reserves and water bodies.
“There will be no mining in forest reserves and no mining in water bodies,” he said. “We are determined to keep our waters blue and our forests green.”
Enforcement efforts have been bolstered by the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS). According to the ministry, more than 255 small-scale mining licences have already been revoked, with further reviews underway.
Land reform and customary boundaries
Beyond mining, the Vice-President was briefed on efforts to overhaul land administration, including plans to establish land offices in 110 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies nationwide.
Mr Buah said operationalising the Land Act was critical, particularly its provisions on customary land administration, which remain a major source of disputes and uncertainty. The ministry is working with the Lands Commission and the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to demarcate customary boundaries—a step seen as essential to reducing conflicts and improving investment certainty.
Vice-President backs reforms, urges inclusion
Prof Opoku-Agyemang welcomed the reforms, describing the engagement as timely and instructive. She praised the ministry’s work, noting that lands and natural resources policy directly shapes livelihoods, environmental outcomes and long-term development.
“You are responsible for the environment, and that is a very weighty responsibility,” she said. “Your work affects people in very direct ways, which is why it deserves the full support of government.”
She assured the minister and his team of continued backing, while stressing that environmental protection is both a moral obligation and a national imperative.
The Vice-President also urged the ministry to ensure women are deliberately considered in the demarcation of land banks, highlighting the need for more inclusive access to land as part of Ghana’s development agenda.
A test for Ghana’s reset agenda
The visit comes as public scrutiny intensifies over illegal mining, environmental degradation and land tenure disputes. If implemented effectively, the proposed reforms would represent the most significant overhaul of Ghana’s mining governance in nearly two decades.
The challenge, however, will lie in execution. Decentralising authority may strengthen accountability, but only if local structures are adequately resourced and insulated from political capture. As the Vice-President’s visit underscored, Ghana’s reset will be judged not by policy ambition alone, but by enforcement on the ground.
