The Ghana Gold Board, known as GoldBod, has committed GH¢5 million (approximately $430,000) and five Toyota Hilux pickups to Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, a move aimed at reinforcing the government’s escalating campaign against illegal mining, or galamsey.
The contribution, made during a brief handover ceremony in Accra on Monday, is directed toward strengthening the National Anti-Illegal Mining Secretariat, the government agency charged with coordinating enforcement efforts against the environmentally destructive practice.
The donation is part of GoldBod’s wider strategy to enhance gold traceability and encourage more responsible mining standards within the country’s artisanal and small-scale mining sector.
“We welcome this crucial support from GoldBod,” said Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah. “This will boost our operational capacity as we scale up efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities.”
The Minister also disclosed ongoing collaboration with the Attorney General’s office to expedite the prosecution of offenders. Simultaneously, the Ministry is in talks with the Transport Ministry to develop new protocols aimed at regulating the movement of excavators—equipment frequently used in illegal mining operations.
Ghana, Africa’s top gold producer, has long struggled to balance the economic contributions of artisanal mining with its environmental and social costs. The government’s renewed crackdown comes amid increasing public pressure to address the degradation of water bodies, forests, and farmlands linked to galamsey activities.
