Following the impressive earnings of the Ghana Gold Board (Goldbod), the Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, is making a case for the government to commit a portion of the $8 billion earnings this year to the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
For Franklin Cudjoe, given this sterling performance of Goldbod, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister should not have to “beg corporate Ghana” for funds to combat illegal mining when a company like Goldbod, which depends on clean, responsibly sourced gold, has achieved such huge profits.
He is convinced that, given the amount involved even in the first three quarters of 2025, it should be easy for the nation to fund the fight against the illegal mining menace.
“Impressive!!” he reacted, adding that, “Now, it should be easy for us to fund the illegal mining fight with a fraction of this amount so we can keep buying cleaner gold and not from illegal miners. The Lands Minister should not need to beg for money from corporate Ghana to fight illegal mining”
“After all, GoldBod is interested in buying clean gold?” he quizzed.
Franklin Cudjoe believes Goldbod’s success story would be incomplete if it fails to address the root of the problem of illegal mining, which continues to destroy farmlands, pollute rivers, and threaten legitimate gold production.
Advocates and analysts have argued that while Ghana seeks to maximize revenue from gold exports, the unchecked menace of galamsey continues to undermine environmental sustainability and the credibility of the country’s gold industry.
The call of the founder of IMANI Africa is not only about environmental responsibility but also about the business integrity of Goldbod.
By investing even a small portion of its earnings in anti-galamsey operations, he argues, Goldbod could help secure a cleaner and more sustainable supply chain, ensuring that the gold underpinning its bonds remains ethically sourced.
