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President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his administration’s unwavering commitment to ending mining activities within Ghana’s forest reserves, unveiling a legislative agenda aimed at permanently outlawing such operations.
Providing an update on the achievements of his first 120 days in office, President Mahama detailed an aggressive strategy to reform and sanitize the country’s mining sector, with a sharp focus on environmental protection and law enforcement.
“In the first 120 days, we’ve taken decisive action through a five-point strategy to overhaul and sanitise the mining sector,” the President said. “This includes regulatory reforms and strengthening law enforcement, including joint task forces, arrest and seizures of mining equipment, stakeholder collaboration, and reclamation of degraded lands.”
He revealed that these efforts have already borne fruit: “Seven out of nine reserves have been reclaimed, and illegal miners have been flushed out of these forest reserves.”
As part of his reform agenda, Mahama disclosed that a legislative instrument—L.I. 2462—was submitted to Parliament on March 20, 2025. This amendment targets the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, and critically, eliminates the President’s discretionary authority to approve mining operations in protected forests.
“Concerning the ban on mining in forest reserves, on March 20, 2025, a legislative instrument L.I. 2462 was presented to Parliament to amend the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation. This amendment removes the president’s power to approve mining in forest reserves,” Mahama explained.
Beyond the regulatory change, President Mahama declared his intention to pursue further legal reforms through Parliament.
“I also plan to amend the Minerals and Mining Act, 2003 (Act 703) to completely prohibit mining in forest reserves,” he emphasized. “This would effectively, meticulously, legally, and entirely ban mining in our forest reserves.”
These measures are part of a larger national effort to reverse the damage caused by illegal mining (galamsey), which has devastated forest ecosystems and polluted major water bodies across the country. Mahama’s approach combines legislative action with on-the-ground enforcement and reclamation to protect Ghana’s natural heritage for future generations.
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