Government is providing lawful and sustainable pathways for young people who want to leave or remain in the mining sector through cooperative mining and skills programmes.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, says for those who want to stay in mining, government is promoting locally owned cooperatives under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) with professional training, legal concessions and improved processing technologies.
He said this at Climate Talks 2026 held at the Miklin Hotel in Kumasi on the theme “Building climate-security resilience in Ghana” on Tuesday, September 23, 2026.
He said for those who wished to leave the sector, government was expanding alternative livelihood opportunities through the National Apprenticeship Programme and the Adwumawura Programme.
He explained that the goal was to ensure young people did not see illegal mining as the only economic opportunity.
“Our objective must be clear, we must make it possible for a young person to choose a lawful livelihood without feeling that illegal mining is the only available economic opportunity,” he said.
He said sustained community engagement remained critical to the success of the interventions.
He added that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives had a major role to play in building trust and ensuring local concerns were incorporated into decision-making.
He further noted that enforcement must be followed by restoration, with government reclaiming dangerous abandoned pits and degraded lands around communities and critical national establishments.
