We’ll boost efforts to clean water bodies, reclaim mined lands – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama says the government will step up efforts to clean rivers and restore land damaged by mining.

Speaking at the 2026 Local Content Summit in Takoradi, Mahama said, “Mining must leave our communities better than it found them. We’ll continue the fight against illegal gold mining and work to formalise the artisanal and small-scale mining sectors.”

He added, “We’ll increase our efforts to clean our water bodies and reclaim the lands that have been mined out. This is a shared responsibility. The government cannot achieve this transformation alone.”

Addressing Ghanaian entrepreneurs, the President said, “To Ghanaian entrepreneurs, the bar for quality and innovation is high. But the opportunity is unprecedented, and so you must prepare, you must build partnerships, and you must compete.”

Turning to international investors, Mahama emphasised, “Ghana offers you stability, policy clarity, and long-term partnerships. But we expect genuine collaboration that embeds capacity within our economy.”

He also spoke directly to regulators and policymakers, urging that “Enforcement must be consistent, transparent, and fair.”

Reflecting on the long-term impact of the country’s mineral wealth, Mahama asked, “What will be the legacy of our mineral wealth 100 years from now? If we get this right, our greatest export will not be raw gold, raw bauxite, raw manganese ores, or lithium. Our greatest exports will be Ghanaian talent, Ghanaian technology, Ghanaian enterprise, and a resilient and competitive mining economy.”

On the purpose of the summit, he stressed, “This maiden Mining Local Content Summit must deliver more than just declarations. It must deliver a binding commitment, a shared national pact that makes our mining industry thrive. The work begins now.”

He concluded with a call to action for all partners, saying, “Let’s leave this summit determined to build a win-win partnership for all of us,” referring to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, and industry players.