The Ghana National Gas Company has sounded the alarm over illegal mining operations dangerously encroaching on a vital section of the nation’s energy infrastructure. The lean gas pipeline—stretching from the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant in the Western Region to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region—is now under threat from galamsey activities near Akango, a community in the Nzema East Municipality.
Judith Adjobah Blay, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Gas, said the unauthorized mining could undermine the structural integrity of the underground pipeline, which supplies gas critical to national power generation. In an interview with Channel One TV following an inspection tour on Friday, Ms. Blay warned of potentially devastating consequences if the highly flammable infrastructure were to be compromised.
“This is a national security concern,” Ms. Blay said. “Any damage to the pipeline could result in both widespread disruption to the power grid and catastrophic harm to nearby communities.”
The pipeline, constructed beginning in 2012, is a key component of Ghana’s effort to ensure reliable electricity supply, transporting lean gas from Atuabo through Esiama and Prestea to Kumasi. Its security is seen as essential to energy stability in the country.
The Ghana Gas chief said the company is undertaking emergency measures to protect the site, including increased surveillance and coordination with local and national authorities. She also called on local communities to support the effort to safeguard the pipeline and report illegal activity.
“We need community vigilance and cooperation,” Ms. Blay added. “This infrastructure belongs to all of us, and its protection must be a collective responsibility.”
Illegal mining, known locally as “galamsey,” has long plagued Ghana’s resource sectors, often operating outside regulatory oversight and leaving environmental degradation in its wake. Energy analysts have in recent years raised alarms about the proximity of such activities to strategic national assets, but Friday’s warning underscores the mounting risks posed by unchecked encroachment.
Government officials have yet to announce new policy actions in response to the latest threat, but Ms. Blay’s public appeal suggests a renewed urgency to address the illegal mining crisis, particularly where it intersects with national infrastructure.
