Africa needs to address these issues. "AfCFTA offers a chance to establish a [regional] market and accomplish the economic integration goals of the African Union's Agenda 2063," Mr. Mene stated.

President Mahama addressing the mining summit: “No permit, no excavator: policy in place to strengthen galamsey fight.”

June 3, 2025

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A stringent “No Permit, No Excavator” policy has been declared by President John Dramani Mahama as part of broad initiatives to combat illicit mining and encourage environmentally friendly mining methods.

The President said yesterday at the opening of the Mining in Motion Summit 2025 in Accra that going forward, no excavator would be permitted entry into the nation without a prior authorization and that all equipment would be recorded to track its use in mining operations.

“We intend to modify the permitting system.

Without a permission, you would not be permitted to bring an excavator into Ghana or load it onto a ship, the President said.

“Ghana has more excavators in this country than in the whole of Africa,” President Mahama added.

He clarified that the action was intended to stop the widespread use of large equipment in illicit mining activities, which had contaminated waterways and destroyed forests.

To make sure excavators aren’t being utilized for illegal mining, a real-time tracking system will be put in place.

Summit

In order to discuss methods for responsible resource development, the conference, which had as its topic “Sustainable Mining & Local Growth – Leveraging Resources for Global Impact,” brought together politicians, business executives, and important stakeholders from both domestic and international markets.

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Sédiko Douka, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalization, and David Tait, the CEO of the World Gold Council, were among those in attendance.

Other notable attendees were Sulemanu Koney, the current Executive Director of EFEDCOM and a former CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines; Tom de Boinville, the Head of Mining and Metals Origination at StoneX; and Sudheesh Nambiath, the Manager of the Emirates Bullion Market Committee.

More than 100 organizations and more than 400 participants from 20 countries attended the conference, which offered a vibrant forum for information sharing.

Zones of protection

President Mahama noted that river guards were vigorously eradicating mining operations from water bodies, and that eight of the nine forest reserves that had previously been overrun by illicit miners had been effectively cleaned.

He said that the government was assisting artisanal miners in converting into legitimate and ecologically viable mining cooperatives, and that “we will reclaim our forest reserves and restore the purity of our rivers.”

Making small-scale mining official
According to President Mahama, the government is implementing programs like the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project and the Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme to combat the problems caused by illicit mining.

He went on to say that those programs will give miners training, legal access to land, and better substitutes for dangerous substances like mercury.

According to the President, “artisanal miners are not enemies of the state; if they are given the right training and assistance, they can be allies in our development.”

The Gold Board
He said that the recently formed Gold Board (GoldBod) had already started to clean up the gold industry in order to increase export earnings.

Through the board and the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), Ghana made $2.7 billion from gold exports between January and April of 2025.
Soon, the board will implement a track-and-trace mechanism to verify that gold exports were from sustainable sources.

The President also said that it will seek to get London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) accreditation for Ghanaian gold and teach small-scale miners in sustainable techniques.

Green mining
To repair deteriorated mining areas, the government will begin a 10,000-hectare land reclamation initiative in partnership with the private sector.

The President said, “Mining cannot be sustainable unless it is responsible.”

President Mahama declared, “We are encouraging renewable energy in mining operations, prohibiting toxic chemicals, and enforcing rehabilitation clauses in mining permits.”

In order to maximize value retention on the continent, the president urged partnerships with mineral-rich countries like South Africa (platinum), Guinea (bauxite), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has abundant cobalt deposits. He also called for stronger African collaboration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In order to set the stage for policy talks on the future of Africa’s mining industry, President Mahama formally opened the Mining in Motion Summit 2025 with a rallying cry for innovation, accountability, and shared prosperity.

Neglects.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, who also spoke at the conference, blamed corruption, political blunders, and regulatory shortcomings for galamsey’s continued existence.

“Weak enforcement and political interference have undermined all efforts to stop this menace,” he stated.

The Asantehene urged for immediate and persistent action to stop the illicit operations and warned that the ongoing devastation of water bodies due to unlawful mining presented a severe threat to the nation’s ecology and future.

The best methods
Wamkele Mene, the AfCFTA Secretary-General, promoted best practices to improve regional gold trading and collaboration to support the growth of the mining industry.

According to him, improving digitalization is essential to tackling the issues facing the mining industry as it lowers transaction costs and improves financial inclusion and traceability.

Mr. Mene went on to say that the African Union’s approval of the Digital Protocol in February of this year made the Mining in Motion 2025 event appropriate.

The protocol seeks to promote sustainability, eradicate poverty, and provide employment using digitalization techniques like gold tokenization.

Trade conflicts and resource nationalization are two obstacles to economic expansion.

Africa needs to address these issues. “AfCFTA offers a chance to establish a [regional] market and accomplish the economic integration goals of the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” Mr. Mene stated.

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