ACP Joseph Hammond Nyaaba receiving the key to the car from Daniel Doe-Tamakloe
Logeist Group Limited, in partnership with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Soil Research Institute (SRI), the Ghana Concerned Small Scale Miners Association, and DECARBONIKA (Italy), has announced plans to reclaim 2,000 hectares of degraded land in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.
Illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has left behind large tracts of unproductive land, causing widespread deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution from chemicals such as mercury.
According to officials, the destruction has not only harmed the country’s biodiversity but also threatens food security and the cocoa sector.
Chief Executive Officer of Logeist Group Limited, Daniel Doe-Tamakloe, said the project, dubbed Logeist EcoReclaim, will focus on renaturalisation of heavily degraded lands through phytoremediation by planting energetic crops made up of fast-growing wood species to extract heavy metals from the soil. He explained that the harvested wood would be processed for furniture and green charcoal, making the site the first industrial land for wood production and providing Ghana with international green labelling.
Beyond environmental restoration, Mr. Doe-Tamakloe stated that the project aims to generate sustainable income streams for local communities.
“The goal is not only to reclaim the land but also to ensure communities benefit through new livelihoods. We are also engaging traditional leaders and environmental experts to make this project sustainable,” Mr. Doe-Tamakloe said.
As part of its community-focused strategy, the initiative will recruit more than 1,500 young people, creating employment opportunities and helping to reduce the high rate of youth unemployment.
In addition to the reclamation drive, Logeist Group Limited presented a Zonda GWM pickup vehicle to the Ashanti Regional South Police Command at Bekwai.
The donation, the company noted, is intended to strengthen security operations in the area, which has often been affected by illegal mining activities.
Deputy Commander of the Ashanti Regional South Police, ACP Cephas Arthur, expressed gratitude for the gesture, noting that the locally assembled vehicle would enhance mobility and improve daily policing efforts.
ACP Arthur pledged the command’s support for the reclamation programme, stressing that security agencies were committed to protecting lives, property, and the integrity of the country’s environment. He further stated that the reclamation project is expected to deliver multiple benefits, including improved water quality, restored ecosystems, and better protection of biodiversity.
Mr. Doe-Tamakloe added that the long-term vision is to scale the project beyond the Ashanti Region to other parts of the country that have suffered from the destructive activities of illegal mining. He indicated that the initiative is intended to become a model for balancing environmental protection with sustainable development.
By Ernest Kofi Adu