President John Dramani Mahama has stressed the need for a coordinated national approach to tackle youth unemployment, the rise in illegal mining (galamsey), and broader governance challenges confronting the country.

He made the call when the Christian Council of Ghana paid a courtesy visit to the Presidency.

Mahama said diminishing economic opportunities — especially for young people and rural communities — had weakened the country’s social fabric and fueled the growing attractiveness of illegal mining.

“Agriculture no longer pays the way it used to,” he noted, pointing out that although Ghana had achieved near-universal basic school enrolment and gender parity, the aspirations of young people had changed.

With free SHS increasing secondary school completion rates, more youth are seeking formal employment in the security services, civil service, and related sectors.

“But with limited opportunities and growing frustration, illegal mining has become an easy alternative — especially with gold prices on the international market hovering around $4,000 per ounce,” he said.

Mahama revealed that only five regions remained unaffected by illegal mining activities.

“In the Volta Region, which some call ‘oxygen,’ the forests and landscapes remain pristine because there’s no illegal mining. Unfortunately, the other 11 regions have patches of gold, and entire communities have become involved.”

A Deeply Entrenched National Crisis

The president described illegal mining as a deeply rooted and complex national problem. He cited recent attacks on anti-galamsey task forces, including a near-fatal incident in Ahafo where 9 officers were surrounded by nearly 700 armed residents.

“Remember what happened to Major Mahama? These situations are similar,” he cautioned.

“Communities are acting with impunity, and we must restore the authority of the state.”

Following the attacks on security personnel and journalists, he instructed the security agencies to arrest and prosecute those involved as part of efforts to reassert state authority.

Mahama also disclosed that past efforts were weakened by uncoordinated operations among security agencies and local authorities.

“Different groups were running their own task forces, leading to abuse and extortion. That’s why we created NAIMOS — to ensure proper coordination,” the president noted.

So far, more than 1,700 illegal miners have been arrested, but case backlogs continue to slow prosecutions. Cabinet has, therefore, approved the Public Tribunals Bill to expedite the adjudication of illegal mining cases.

Cracking Down on the Galamsey Supply Chain

The president said government was also targeting the supply chain that enabled illegal mining, including operators and suppliers of chanfan and excavator machines.

“We’ve made it illegal to sell chanfan machines, and all seized machines must be destroyed. Excavators arriving at the ports have been impounded at Shai Hills unless importers can prove they are for legitimate construction work,” he said.

He explained that the devastating scale of illegal mining intensified with the introduction of excavators and mechanised washing machines, accelerating the destruction of farmlands, forests, and river bodies.

Providing Alternatives and Restoring the Environment

Mahama stressed that lasting success would depend on creating alternative livelihoods for young people who depended on illegal mining.

Government has initiated a public–private partnership to reclaim degraded lands, with 1,000 hectares already under restoration.

“The plan is to reclaim about 30,000 hectares. We will employ the same young people who were involved in illegal mining to plant fast-growing trees and earn a monthly stipend. Without alternative livelihoods, they will return to illegal mining,” he said.

The president reiterated that restoring the environment, coordinating national efforts, and expanding economic opportunities — especially for the youth — remained central to solving the illegal mining crisis.