Stakeholders have called on government to impose a temporary moratorium on the issuance of new mining licenses to allow for a comprehensive audit of existing operations and environmental conditions.
In a communique issued at the High-Level National Dialogue on Mobilizing Citizens’ Consensus on Galamsey in the Eastern Region, participants emphasized that this and other measures are crucial to addressing the illegal mining (galamsey) crisis with urgency.
The High-Level National Dialogue was jointly organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa, the National Peace Council, and the National Commission for Civic Education, in partnership with the National House of Chiefs and various religious bodies.
Illegal mining continues across 13 of the 16 regions in the Country, causing severe ecological damage.
Farmlands, forest reserves, and river bodies have been destroyed and polluted, leaving host communities in distress.
In parts of the Central and Eastern regions, residents have been without potable water for over two months due to abnormally high turbidity levels that have forced treatment plants to shut down.
Delivering the communique on behalf of stakeholders, the Board Chairman of the National Peace Council, Most Reverend Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, called for the repeal of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462 and the swift adoption of L.I. 2501 to enhance forest reserve protection.
The Stakeholders also urged the government to repeal all laws permitting the use of mercury in mining, in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
They further recommended the development of a public league table to rank Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) based on their performance in mining governance.
Details of the recommendations are as follows:
Legal and Regulatory Reforms
- Repeal L.I. 2462 and expedite the adoption of L.I. 2501 to protect forest reserves.
- Review and harmonize the mandates of regulatory agencies Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Authority, Forestry Commission, and Water Resources Commission to remove overlaps and conflicts.
- Repeal all laws permitting mercury use in mining and adopt safer alternatives in line with the 2013 Minamata Convention.
Governance and Enforcement
- Develop a public league table system to assess and rank MMDAs and traditional authorities based on mining governance performance.
- Strengthen inter-agency collaboration by investing in shared logistics, digitized permitting systems, and interlinked enforcement dashboards.
Licenses revoked
A public notice issued on October 23, 2025, by the Minerals Commission stated that it has revoked 278 small-scale mining licences across the country for breaches of regulations and the expiration of some permits.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources authorised the revocations under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and the Minerals and Mining (General) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2173).
