Professor Martin Oteng-Ababio
The Board Chairman of the Forestry Commission, Professor Martin Oteng-Ababio, has blamed the surge in illegal mining, or galamsey, on rising global gold prices and deepening rural poverty.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Friday, October 10, 2025, Prof. Oteng-Ababio said the growing profitability of gold — projected to reach about US$5,000 per ounce — has made mining more enticing despite its devastating environmental impact.
He explained that worsening economic conditions and a lack of alternative livelihoods have driven many rural residents into illegal mining as a means of survival.
Beyond individual poverty, he said wealthy financiers and organised groups are increasingly backing illegal mining operations with heavy investments and technology, intensifying the destruction of forests and water bodies.
Prof. Oteng-Ababio warned that Ghana risks irreversible environmental damage unless urgent action is taken to curb the spread of illegal mining.
Citinewsroom
