The Nature and Development Foundation (NDF), in collaboration with the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has sensitised traditional leaders in the Ahafo Ano South West District on Ghana’s mineral governance framework to strengthen the fight against illegal mining.

The capacity-building programme, held at Mankranso, focused on effective Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and brought together chiefs, queen mothers, officials of the NDF and representatives of the EPA, among other stakeholders.

Speaking to Adom News, the Executive Director of the NDF, Mustapha Seidu, said it was important for traditional leaders to acquire the necessary knowledge to help curb illegal mining in their communities.

He explained that chiefs and queen mothers needed to be able to distinguish between licensed and illegal mining activities on their lands and know the appropriate channels for reporting suspected illegal miners.

According to him, equipping traditional authorities with information on mineral governance would enable them to play a more effective role in protecting their communities and natural resources.

The Akwamuhene of Mankranso, Nana Adu Pako, who spoke on behalf of the chief, commended the NDF and its partners for organising the engagement.

He said traditional leaders sometimes struggled to verify claims by individuals seeking to undertake mining activities on their lands.

Nana Adu Pako explained that some miners presented licences to the traditional authorities, making it difficult for them to determine whether their operations were being conducted legally.

The Queen Mother of Npasaaso, Nana Konamah Dampong III, also expressed concern about the increasing incidence of illegal mining in her community.

She said galamsey had become an alarming threat and welcomed the training as a timely intervention to help traditional leaders identify and prevent illegal mining activities.

She urged stakeholders to sustain such engagements to equip traditional authorities with the knowledge needed to protect their lands and the environment.

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