The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has inspected the successful reclamation of 320 hectares of mined-out sites at Manso Nyankomase in the Ashanti Region.
During a visit to the site on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, the Minister applauded the completion of the project, which has healed the devastation caused by illegal mining activities in the area.
Addressing the press, the Minister said that land reclamation remains a top priority for the government and expressed his satisfaction with the progress made so far.
According to him, the government will continue to embark on more reclamation programs to restore large parcels of land lost to illegal mining activities across the country.
“I am delighted to be here today at Manso Nyankomase in the Ashanti Region to inspect the reclamation of degraded mined-out sites, undertaken as part of the government’s national reclamation agenda and the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative,” the Minister stressed.
“I am pleased to note that a total of 320 hectares have been reclaimed across Site One (Nyankomase – 240 ha) and Site Two (Asare – 80 ha) under this initiative. These reclaimed lands will help restore ecological balance, improve land productivity, and contribute to the long-term socio-economic development of the affected communities,” Armah-Kofi Buah added.
Inspecting the project, the Minister thanked Newmont Ghana for supporting the successful completion of the project.
In expressing his gratitude, the Minister also called on the corporate community to collaborate with the government in spearheading such initiatives.
He emphasized that this collaboration would help in the collective restoration of the environment, which has been degraded by illegal mining activities.
“I commend Newmont Ghana Limited for supporting the government beyond its statutory obligations and for contributing meaningfully to national environmental restoration efforts. We are also very grateful to the contractor who undertook this reclamation work, RM ECORESTORE GH LTD, for the excellent work done.
We expect that the trees will be planted during the rainy season to complete the land restoration effort,” the Minister said.
“Together, through collaboration and shared responsibility, we can reclaim our lands, restore our water bodies, and secure a sustainable future for generations to come,” he further emphasized.
Speaking at the site, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, commended the sector Minister for his bold commitment to fighting the menace of illegal mining.
In his remarks, he acknowledged that although the fight against galamsey has been challenging, he is impressed by the political will of the Lands Minister in addressing the situation.
Dr. Amoakohene therefore pledged to support the government in combating the menace, especially in the Ashanti Region.
He added that while the government is not against mining, it will continue to take action against those who destroy the environment.
The DCE and Chief of the area also expressed gratitude to the government, pledging to continue safeguarding the environment from all destructive mining activities.
The restoration of degraded lands is part of the government’s five-pronged approach to deal with the scourge of illegal mining.
So far, about 5,500 hectares of land, equivalent to 7,500 football fields, have been lost to illegal mining. The government says this will soon be addressed through its aggressive land reclamation efforts, in partnership with the private sector.
Source: myxyzonline.com
