Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has urged authorities and industry players to treat mining communities as development partners and economic shareholders rather than mere land donors.
Speaking at the National Mining Dialogue 2026 yesterday in Accra, on theme, “Rethinking the Social License to Operate,” he said communities that host mineral resources should have a meaningful stake in the benefits derived from mining, insisting that their concerns must be key in decisions concerning the exploitation of natural resources.
“Mining communities must no longer be treated as land donors. They are custodians of the resource, hence must be treated as development partners and economic shareholders. If we accept that truth, then we must confront a hard question,” he stated.
“After more than a century of mining, why are too many Ghanaians still spectators in the ownership and value of the mines? Mining communities must become consent providers, not afterthoughts, because Accra cannot determine their fate without them,” he added.
According to him, the concept of social licence to operate must go beyond legal permits and focus on building trust between mining companies, government and host communities, noting that mining communities could not continue to experience poverty, poor infrastructure, limited access to potable water and youth unemployment while valuable resources were extracted from their lands.
“We cannot continue to mine gold from the soil of our communities while poverty, lack of access to potable water, poor roads, youth unemployment and weak local economies remain the daily reality of too many mining communities in our country,” he stressed.
The GoldBod Chief Executive stated that the youth question remained at the heart of the debate on social licence, arguing that young people in mining areas must have opportunities beyond casual employment, while proposing a model anchored on “Involve, Protect and Expand” as a framework to transform the relationship between mining companies, communities and the state.
“A social licence cannot survive where the youth believe mining has no place for them except as casual labourers and bystanders. Under the “Involve” component, mining communities must become consent providers and active participants in the mining value chain, not after thoughts,” he pointed out.
He also called for greater Ghanaian ownership and participation in the mining industry, stating that increased production without local ownership and value addition would continue to limit the benefits of mining.
Mr. Gyamfi said GoldBod was established as part of efforts to retain more value from Ghana’s mineral resources, formalise artisanal and small-scale mining, and promote responsible gold production while ensuring that every ounce of gold produced in the country creates greater value.
He added that the government would continue to pursue reforms aimed at supporting indigenous ownership, strengthening local refining, improving traceability and ensuring that mining revenues translated into visible development in host communities.
Mr. Gyamfi further stressed the need for stronger environmental protection, saying the social licence to operate could not exist alongside the destruction of water bodies, forests and farmlands, while urging stakeholders in the mining sector to work together to build an industry where communities experience the benefits of mineral resources through jobs, businesses, infrastructure and opportunities for future generations.
“If we get this right, Ghana will not only produce gold. Ghana will produce prosperous mining towns, strategic industries around its minerals and deeper community trust,” he added.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah