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Minister-designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has called for small-scale miners to be required to reclaim and restore lands degraded through their mining activities.
Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, 2026, Mr Ayariga said Ghana must strengthen the monitoring of mining operations while supporting miners to operate within the law.
His comments come amid growing concerns over the environmental damage caused by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, across the country.
Illegal mining has resulted in the destruction of farmlands and forest reserves, the creation of abandoned mining pits and widespread land degradation. Several rivers and other water bodies have also been polluted by mining activities.
Mr Ayariga called for stronger institutions and increased resources to enable authorities to effectively monitor mining operations and ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
He proposed greater investment in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minerals Commission, including the deployment of more technical personnel and mining engineers across the country.
“Let’s invest in EPA and have a lot of people at the EPA, let’s invest in the Minerals Commission and have a lot of mining engineers who identify every district and every single space where mining activity is taking place,” he said.
According to him, effective monitoring would enable authorities to identify mining activities, enforce regulations and hold operators accountable for any environmental damage caused.
Mr Ayariga further proposed that miners should be legally obligated to restore degraded lands once their operations are completed.
“Whoever carries out that activity will reclaim the area and plant and make sure that they restore the area to what it was,” he said.
The proposal would make land reclamation an integral part of mining operations, ensuring that miners—not communities or the state—bear responsibility for restoring lands affected by their activities.
Mr Ayariga also stressed that government efforts to support legal small-scale mining must be accompanied by stronger enforcement and monitoring.
He said Ghana needs a mining system that allows the sector to contribute to economic development while protecting the country’s land, forests and water resources from long-term environmental damage.
