Gold mining is not only providing Ghana the much-needed foreign exchange, but it has also created a paradox, as illegal mining, locally called “galamsey,” has led to the pollution of the country’s waterways. The consequence of this is that turbidity levels have risen sharply, and the Ghana Water Company cannot process water for some communities. In addition, food production has been affected as mercury contamination of farmlands has led to reduction in crop yields.
Proof that the country is making so much money from gold mining was amplified by the chief executive officer of Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, who said since January, up to the end of August 2025, small-scale gold exports undertaken, or facilitated by the Board, working closely with the Bank of Ghana, has hit a record-high of 66.7 tonnes with an export value of approximately $6 billion.
From what Gyamfi said, the volume and value of small-scale gold exports from January to August 2025 alone, have exceeded the total small-scale gold export out-turn for the whole of 2024 (January- December), which stood at 63 tonnes with a value of about $4.6 billion.
He said small-scale gold exports continue to surpass those from the large-scale mining sector, which stood at 65.1 tonnes with an export value of about $5.6 billion for the period between January and August 2025.
This recent gold boom is nothing new as the U.S. International Trade Administration in June this year said Ghana has long been a gold producing country, stating that indigenous communities have been extracting gold since the 10th century in Ghana, which was known historically as “The Gold Coast.”
“Commercial-scale gold mining began in 1897 near Obuasi in the Ashanti region. Now, Ghana is Africa’s largest gold producer and one of the top 10 gold producers in the world. Ghana also has the largest open pit gold mine in Africa by size, 200km² Tarkwa mine operated by Goldfields,” it said.
The paper projected that new large-scale greenfield mines will soon come online, such as Newmont’s North Ahafo mine and the Cardinal Namdini mine operated by Cardinal Resources, a unit of Shandong Gold, adding that new mines are also being developed outside of the traditional Ashanti region.
It said a new gold mine by Azumah Resources, near the border with Burkina Faso, is slated to start production in 2026. Promising exploration efforts in Kpali near Wa in the county’s Upper West Region may also lead to the creation of new mining settlements and projects.
In 2024, Ghana mined an estimated 4.9 million ounces, or roughly 136 metric tonnes, of gold. This production represents an 8.5 percent increase compared to 2023 and can be attributed to both large-scale mining operations and the growing contribution of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASGM). ASGM played a crucial role in Ghana’s gold industry, contributing $5 billion in export revenue and employing over one million people.
Also, in 2024, Ghana experienced a significant increase in gold exports which reached $11.6 billion, a 52.6 percent increase from $7.6 billion in 2023. According to Ghana’s minister of lands and natural resources, these trends continued in the first four months of 2025, when Ghana earned $5.2 billion from gold exports, a 76.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. This surge is attributed to new regulations, global gold price increases, and heightened international demand.
This year, the newly established GoldBod has put in place measures to streamline gold purchases from small-scale miners, increasing earnings and reducing smuggling. The government ordered foreign companies to exit the local gold trading market by April 30, 2025, with the exception of those that can apply to buy gold directly from the Board.
The Bank of Ghana’s gold reserves have surged by 56 percent in the past year, reaching 30.5 tonnes in 2024, up from 19.5 tonnes in 2023, according to data from the Bank of Ghana. The value of these reserves is estimated at $2.7 billion, marking and significantly boosting Ghana’s financial stability.
Unfortunately, illegal mining has grown over the past years destroying the country’s environment. So, instead of hailing gold mining, the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference have in a statement asked President John Mahama and his government to declare, without hesitation, a state of emergency in the most affected mining zones and around endangered water bodies.
“Such a declaration would empower extraordinary interventions: curfews in volatile areas, the securing of devastated lands, the dismantling of entrenched criminal syndicates, and the halting of corrupt administrative complicities,” the Bishops said.
They said Ghana requires a holistic, integrated national strategy. Laws governing mining must be revised, sharpened, and rigorously enforced, with stiffer penalties for offenders. In addition, they believe that specialised courts should be established to expedite prosecutions, adding that, “a permanent, well-resourced, and corruption-proof task force must be constituted, comprising security services, environmental experts, and local authorities, to ensure consistent enforcement beyond transient crackdowns.
The Bishops said, the Pra, Ankobra, Birim, Offin and Ayensu rivers, which were once-pristine waterways, are now laced with mercury and toxic effluents, adding that, “some have ceased to flow downstream, while others, like the Ayensu, show turbidity levels so extreme, 32,000 NTU compared to the Ghana Water Company’s maximum treatment threshold of 2,500 NTU, that they defy purification.”
They said the country’s “once-verdant forests lie stripped to barren scars, while fertile farmlands are rendered sterile, punctured by deadly pits. To desecrate creation through galamsey is not only an offence against neighbour; it is a grave sin against God Himself, the Creator and Owner of all.”
The Bishops pointed out that the consequences are dire because farmers can no longer trust the land to sustain their families, and the capacity to feed the nation has diminished while the Ghana Water Company strains at great cost to render water barely potable, but with traces of mercury, arsenic, cyanide, and chlorine persisting in what is supplied.
“Children, seduced by the mirage of quick riches, forsake school for perilous pits, many losing their lives in collapses that are both tragic and preventable. The poisons of mining seep silently into our food chain, breeding cancers, skin diseases, kidney failure, and neurological disorders.
But the rot is not only ecological. Galamsey has become a cancer in our national soul. It corrodes politics, corrodes governance, and corrodes conscience,” they added.
The Bishops said it was disturbing that some politicians, members of parliament, Municipal and District chief executives, chiefs, religious figures, and even members of our security services have been implicated – shielding illegal operators for personal gain, granting illicit concessions, or remaining silent when duty demands bold speech.
“Worse still, galamsey has matured into a threat to national security. It enriches criminal cartels, breeds lawlessness, and foments violent conflicts in mining communities. Yet, in the face of this, the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, appears not to grasp the existential scale of the menace,” they added.
In order to prevent all the ills against illegal mining, the Bishops said, “those driven to galamsey by desperation must be offered sustainable alternatives. Properly regulated small-scale mining zones could be created, fortified with environmental safeguards and technical support. Displaced farmers should be restored with land, credit, and training.”
In addition, they said, a nationwide afforestation and reclamation programme should be launched, not only to heal the scars of destruction but also to provide dignified employment, especially for the youth.
The Bishops appealed to all Ghanaians to “resist the lure of quick wealth that leaves our children a desert in place of a homeland. To chiefs: remember your sacred responsibility as custodians of the land. To politicians: place Ghana above personal and partisan advantage. To religious leaders: speak prophetically without fear or favour. To our security agencies: act with integrity, be defenders of the people, not accomplices in their betrayal.”
From every indication, gold mining is providing the country with the needed foreign exchange. It is changing the conditions of some people with wealth. However, with the destruction that it has brought to the country, the government must listen to the Bishops and act appropriately.
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