Lands Minister Inaugurates Four More Mining Cooperatives in Tarkwa and Bogoso as Formalisation Drive Expands

The government has inaugurated four additional mining cooperatives in the Western Region, expanding its flagship formalisation programme for small-scale miners as it seeks to bring order to a sector long associated with environmental destruction and illegal operations.

The cooperatives—two in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality and two in the Prestea-Huni Valley District—were launched on Monday, November 9, 2026, under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP). The schemes are expected to create local jobs and encourage miners to shift toward responsible practices, according to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

Speaking at the launch in Tarkwa and Bogoso, two of Ghana’s oldest mining communities, Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah said the future of the country’s mining industry depended not only on economic returns but on operators’ willingness to protect the environment and respect the law. He described the cooperatives as an important move toward giving local communities a greater stake in mineral resource management.

Scale of Destruction

Buah used the occasion to underscore the magnitude of environmental damage wrought by illegal mining, disclosing that the destruction of forest reserves nationwide was equivalent to an area covering more than 12,000 football fields. He cautioned that the pursuit of wealth from mineral deposits must not be allowed to undermine environmental security.

The Minister called for stronger monitoring and cooperation among stakeholders to prevent illegal operators from exploiting regulatory weaknesses, and urged mining communities to take ownership of the programme by supporting lawful operations and rejecting activities that threaten their environment and livelihoods.

Expanding Formalisation

The launch in Tarkwa and Bogoso follows a series of similar inaugurations across the Western Region in recent weeks. In October, cooperatives were launched in Ahanta West and Mpohor Fiase, Nzema East, and Ellembelle, where Buah charged five societies with the memorable instruction: “Take the gold, but restore the land”.

The Ministry has formalised 11 cooperatives so far and aims to reach approximately 40 by the end of 2026 or early 2027, according to spokesperson Paa Kwesi Schandorf. The programme merges the former Community Mining Scheme with the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme, providing legally recognised cooperatives with access to shared processing centres, modern equipment, geological studies, safety training and regulatory compliance support.

Sheihu Siddiq, Acting National Coordinator of rCOMSDEP, assured the Minister that the programme would intensify efforts to register more cooperatives, opening opportunities for young people and providing a legitimate pathway into small-scale mining. Akwasi Adjei Bawuah, Western Regional Director of the Department of Cooperatives, pledged the department’s support in streamlining cooperative operations to help address illegal mining in the region.

The Members of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea-Huni Valley, who attended the inauguration, expressed optimism that the programme would improve livelihoods and create employment for unemployed youth in their constituencies.

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Background: A Sector Under Pressure

Ghana’s small-scale mining sector employs an estimated one million people and generates a substantial share of the country’s gold output, but decades of weak regulation allowed illegal operations—known locally as galamsey—to proliferate. The consequences have been severe: rivers polluted with mercury and cyanide, farmlands degraded, and forest reserves invaded. President John Dramani Mahama disclosed in October that illegal mining had affected 48 of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves, with nine declared red zones due to armed miners. The rCOMSDEP programme represents a shift in strategy—away from purely enforcement-driven approaches toward formalisation and community ownership—though its success will depend on whether cooperatives can operate profitably within environmental constraints.