By Francis Kobena Tandoh
The 11th West & Central Africa (WaCA) Mining Summit & Expo 2025 opened on Wednesday in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, with a renewed call by the government to combat illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey.’
Delivering his opening remarks on behalf of the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Deputy Minister Hon. Yusif Sulemana observed that the fight against illegal mining, which is a national security threat, continues unabated with new strategies to stem the tide.
According to him, the government will not relent in its efforts to win the galamsey fight to safeguard future generations.
“The fight against illegal mining continues, and the only way to stop it is to formalize it. Our water bodies are a no-go area, and the military is going to be deployed permanently to flush them out,” said the deputy minister.
He announced that the government was in the process of amending the mining laws and introducing new policies to ensure the resource-rich communities derived maximum benefit from their natural resources.
Hon. Sulemana also emphasized that plans are far advanced for the government to formalize the small-scale mining to be carried out in a way to ensure responsible mining without endangering water bodies, forest reserves, and arable lands.
Maggie Tan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Magenta Global PTE Limited, organizers of the summit, observed that the objective of the program is to identify and discuss teething problems facing resource-rich communities to inform policy change that will inure to the benefit of the people.
“We are not affiliated with any government or with any industry, so we provide a neutral, objective platform. So our purpose really is for this platform to generate conversations, to hear the problems from the ground, and then to look at how you can influence policy in that way. Because I think a lot of the big events are controlled by the government, so I would say, we hope to use an objective platform to hear from the local people and how the government could adopt policies to suit and benefit the local communities,” said Tan.
A Chinese mining tech firm, the Nile Group, one of the exhibitors, said it decided to be part of the summit to seek investment in the mining industry.
Yang Qi, sales manager for the company, told Ghana Eye Report in an interview that his company is paying attention to Ghana due to the favorable business climate.
“This is my second time coming to Ghana, and if you are thinking of establishing a business in West Africa, it is Ghana you should consider first. We did a little research, so we know Ghana is rich in gold and has a stable government. The policies are turning in favor of us manufacturers, so we know that there is a good market and good policy,” said Yang.
The 11th WaCA Mining Summit brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, think tanks, civil society groups, and exhibitors in the mining industry, to discuss topical issues in the industry for two days to inform policy direction. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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