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The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has revoked all small-scale mining licenses issued after December 7, 2024, citing irregularities in the issuance process.
Speaking at a joint press briefing on March 19, 2025, the Minister explained that the licenses were granted without following due process. This decision is part of the government’s broader effort to combat illegal mining, which includes tighter controls on excavator imports, a ban on the fabrication and importation of floating mining equipment, and other regulatory measures.
“The finding is very clear, those licenses from December 7 were rushed, the due processes were not followed, and the right things were not done,” the Minister stated.
Additionally, he announced the dissolution of existing community mining schemes, which will be replaced by small-scale mining cooperatives designed to benefit local communities.
New Licensing Process
Moving forward, the licensing of small-scale mining operations will begin at the district level.
“Licensing should start at the district level with the empowerment of the District Security Committees (DISEC) and District Mining Committees to carry out ground proving and vetting of all documents,” the Minister said.
He further stated that DISEC will now include representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Water Resources Commission, and the Forestry Commission, alongside traditional authorities from the respective concession areas.
Parliamentary Debate on Mining in Forest Reserves
Meanwhile, in Parliament on March 18, the Minority blocked the presentation of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462 by the Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Murtala. This L.I. seeks to revoke the President’s authority to approve mining in forest reserves.
The Minority, led by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, argued that a pre-laying process was necessary before formally introducing the L.I. “Mr. Speaker, I shall pray you to place the application on ice for now and rather direct that the Minister goes through what has become a pre-laying ritual,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
Former Lands Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor supported this stance, emphasizing the need for thorough deliberation before making changes that affect mining in forest reserves.
However, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga countered, arguing that the L.I. was a straightforward, one-clause regulation that had already gained consensus. He stressed its importance in tackling illegal mining, known locally as “galamsey,” which has led to severe environmental degradation.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu backed Ayariga’s position, calling galamsey a national emergency that requires urgent action.
After a heated debate, First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor ruled that a three-day pre-laying process must be observed. The Subsidiary Legislation Committee is expected to review the L.I. and submit a report by March 20.
