Ghana’s mining policy is set for a significant change as the Minerals Commission has pledged to make traditional leaders central to the process of granting mining licenses.
This is a move aimed at improving engagement, boosting sustainability, and reducing community-government tensions.
The new policy direction was announced by the Minerals Commission in the Bono Region when the Minerals Policy Review Team met the Bono Regional House of Chiefs as part of their engagement tour.
Leader of the Minerals Policy Review Team, Benjamin Aryee, admitted that in previous engagements across the country, chiefs had repeatedly raised concerns about being sidelined in crucial decisions affecting their lands.
“The few other Houses of Chiefs that we have gone to, they have raised the issue of not being engaged enough,” Aryee said.
To address this challenge and involve the traditional rulers in the decisions of the commission, he announced that the commission is currently establishing offices across the country to bring the commission closer to the chiefs.
In addition, it is the pledge of the commission that the old ways of granting mining permits have passed away, giving birth to a regime where the chiefs will the central in the processes of granting mining licenses.
“The Minerals Commission is spreading its wings and setting up offices closer and closer to them to ensure that engagement can be improved. We have pledged that the commission will engage them more upfront to ensure that all licences involved their input as well before processing and subsequently, with their help, monitor and manage mining operations better to ensure sustainability is achieved,” the leader of the team indicated.
This change means that, for the first time, licence approvals will formally incorporate the perspectives of chiefs before they are granted, potentially reshaping how mining companies operate in Ghana.
Traditional leaders will also play a direct role in monitoring and managing mining operations, a responsibility Aryee says will be key to achieving long-term sustainability in the sector.
Mining in Ghana has often been marred by disputes between communities, companies, and the state over environmental degradation, revenue sharing, and land use. By involving chiefs from the outset, the Minerals Commission hopes to reduce these conflicts, strengthen local oversight, and ensure mining projects align with community needs.
If fully implemented, this policy shift could mark one of the most significant reforms in Ghana’s mining governance in decades, placing the custodians of the land at the centre of decisions that shape its future.
