President Nana Akufo-Addo has described the fight against illegal mining as one of the most challenging undertakings of his presidency.
Addressing parliament during the 2024 State of the Nation Address, he outlined the sacrifices and achievements tied to the campaign, adding that he almost out his presidency on the line.
The president said tackling galamsey was a priority from the onset of his administration due to its devastating impact on the environment and water bodies.
However, the decision came at a significant political cost, with many of his party’s parliamentary candidates losing their seats in the 2020 elections.
The challenge persisted into his second term as the government continued to enforce measures against illegal mining activities.
“I made a commitment to tackle galamsey, a phenomenon which has been ravaging our environment and destroying our lands. I knew it was not going to be easy, but I felt strong enough on the need to protect our environment and was prepared to put my presidency on the line to defend lives and water bodies.”
Despite the challenges, the campaign led to notable successes in the mining sector. Ghana became the leading gold producer in Africa, recording 4 million ounces of gold production in 2023.
Other achievements include the construction of a 400kg-capacity gold refinery and the completion of discussions for a $450 million manganese refinery at Nsuta.
Akufo-Addo made sent a reminder to miners of responsible practices in the need to protect Ghana’s natural resources for future generations.
“I pray more of us get to embrace the need for protection of our lands and waterbodies.
Fight against galamsey is not fight against mining or extraction of the goLd the almighty has generously endowed us with. We owe it to future generations to extract in manner that protects environment”.
He called on all stakeholders to support efforts to balance resource extraction with environmental preservation.