Structural conflicts over land access and fears of political interference are undermining Ghana’s efforts to reform its small-scale mining sector, a mining consultant has said.

Wisdom Gomashie told theAsaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (26 May) that while major companies such as Newmont andAngloGold Ashanti have relinquished portions of their concessions for cooperative mining, there are concerns the land could be reallocated to powerful private interests.

“There are rumours that certain powerful people are trying to acquire these concessions for private use,” he said, warning that such moves would defeat the purpose of allocating land for community-based mining.

Gomashie argued that Ghana’s mining challenges stem partly from historical allocation patterns that granted large-scale companies extensive concessions, often leaving little room for local miners.

“You give the whole community as a concession to a large-scale company, and locals have nowhere to mine,” he said. “There is a policy disconnect.”

He described ongoing tensions between multinational mining firms and local communities as a “structural conflict”, with many viable small-scale mining areas locked within large concessions.

To address this, he called for a coexistence model, where large-scale mining leases would be required to support or allocate portions of land for small-scale operators.

“Before granting leases, government should ensure large-scale companies develop small-scale mining alongside,” he said.

The consultant also cast doubt on environmental safeguards outlined in official documents, saying measures such as EPA approvals and tailings systems “do not exist on the ground”.

Despite the challenges, Gomashie said cooperative mining could still play a role in formalising the sector if properly implemented.

“If they do it well, it could become one of the best formalisation processes,” he said, pointing to Zambia’s adaptation of Ghana’s earlier community mining model as an example.