Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
Ghana’s Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has reaffirmed government’s vision for a mining sector that delivers broad-based national benefits, saying the true measure of success at the newly inaugurated Ahafo North Mine will not be in ounces of gold extracted, but in the lives uplifted and communities transformed.
Speaking at the commissioning of Newmont’s US$1 billion Ahafo North Mine on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Afrisipakrom in the Ahafo Region, Hon. Buah described the project as a landmark achievement in responsible mining and public-private collaboration.
The ceremony was attended by Vice President Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, representing President John Dramani Mahama, and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, alongside traditional leaders, local authorities, and industry stakeholders.
In his remarks, Buah said the Ahafo North Mine goes beyond being a major infrastructure project—it stands as a symbol of Ghana’s renewed commitment to inclusive growth, local empowerment, and environmental responsibility.
“This mine is not just about gold; it’s about opportunity, dignity, and shared prosperity,” he declared. “The true success of Ahafo North will be measured not by the tonnes of gold it produces, but by the quality of life it brings to its host communities and the opportunities it creates for Ghanaians.”
The Minister noted that the project, built with significant Ghanaian technical expertise, will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, boost local enterprise participation, and inject new life into the regional economy.
He emphasized that Government remains firm in ensuring that mining contributes to national development, not private windfalls for a few. “As a principle,” he said, “mineral extraction must always be translated into infrastructure, skills, and economic gains that reach every Ghanaian.”
Buah underscored that the Ahafo North Mine represents the kind of strategic partnership the Mahama administration envisions — one that aligns corporate investment with community development and national priorities.
“We are open for business,” he said, “but only to partnerships that respect our people, our environment, and our resources. Ghana is not interested in extractive relationships that leave our communities poorer than they found them.”
He commended Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd. for its proactive engagement with communities and its commitment to critical infrastructure, particularly its decision to rehabilitate the 46km Sunyani–Ntotroso–Akyerensua road, a project he described as “a practical expression of corporate responsibility.”
The Minister also applauded the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for his leadership in fostering dialogue and resolving community concerns that could have derailed the project’s development.
Looking to the future, Buah announced that Government and Newmont are finalising a partnership under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) — a bold policy initiative designed to integrate small-scale miners into the formal economy.
Through this programme, Newmont will release portions of its concession to support responsible, regulated small-scale mining within host communities. The move, according to the Minister, seeks to create sustainable livelihoods while addressing the persistent challenge of illegal mining.
“This is how we change the narrative,” he said. “We must build a mining sector where large-scale and small-scale miners coexist responsibly, guided by the same principles of environmental care and social equity.”
