Nearly 800 of 12,000 acres of galamsey-damaged land reclaimed – Mahama

• President Mahama says illegal mining has destroyed approximately 12,000 acres of land in Ghana.

• He commended Newmont for reclaiming nearly 800 acres of mined-out land and planting useful crops on the restored areas.

• The government is also planning to reclaim 5,000 acres of degraded land from 2027, with GH¢200 million allocated for the programme.

President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that 800 of 12,000 acres of galamsey damaged lands have been reclaimed with crops being planted on the damaged lands.

READ ALSO: Ghana secures $270m poultry investment agreement to cut chicken imports

He commended mining company Newmont for reclaiming nearly 800 acres of mined-out land and planting crops on the restored areas.

He made this revelation during the Mining in Motion Summit in Accra on October 19, 2026, while discussing efforts to restore land damaged by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

The three-day event, held from October 19 to 21 under the patronage of His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was organised around the theme “One Continent. One Voice on Minerals. Aligning Africa’s Mineral Future.” 

READ ALSO: Mining in Motion Summit ends with calls to formalise small-scale mining and improve access to finance

Its central message was that Africa must work together to process more of its mineral resources locally and retain greater economic benefits from mining. 

The President said 48 of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves had been affected by illegal mining, with efforts under way to restore the affected areas.

READ ALSO: 'Train graduates for skilled jobs in mining industry' - Mahama urges Universities

Mahama also said the government was preparing to reclaim additional degraded land, with GH¢200 million allocated towards restoring 5,000 acres from 2027.

The measures form part of efforts to address the environmental damage caused by illegal mining and return affected areas to productive use.