The Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Sir Sam Jonah, has condemned the devastating impact of illegal mining on Ghana’s environment, warning that the destruction of rivers, forests and farmland makes it impossible to achieve meaningful sustainability.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary conference of Methodist University, he described the pollution of water bodies through illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, as not only an environmental crisis but also an economic, public health and moral concern.
“Rivers that fed our young parents now have the colour of chocolate milk,” he said, illustrating the extent of the destruction caused by the practice.
“This is not only an environmental problem. It is an economic problem. A health problem. And in the end, it is also a moral problem.”
Sir Sam Jonah argued that galamsey reflects a failure of stewardship, with individuals pursuing financial gain at the expense of the environment and the welfare of future generations.
He stressed that sustainability in Ghana must begin with confronting illegal mining and protecting the country’s natural resources.
Africa must avoid repeating gold trade mistakes with AI
Beyond environmental concerns, the business mogul warned that Africa risks repeating its historical mistakes in the gold trade as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the global economy.
Drawing on his experience in the mining industry, where he began his career working underground, he said the continent could once again find itself supplying raw resources to others while importing finished products at a higher cost.
He cautioned that Africa could become dependent on foreign AI technologies while exporting its data and paying to access tools developed elsewhere.
“There is a real danger that Africa becomes only a consumer of these technologies and never a creator. That we buy the tools, export our data, pay rent on both,” he said.
“We did that with gold for a century. I pray we don’t do this again.”
Sir Sam Jonah urged African countries to invest in developing their own technologies and building the capacity to create solutions suited to their needs, rather than relying primarily on imported innovations.
Mobile money proof of African innovation
He cited mobile money as evidence that Africa has the capacity to develop successful, home-grown solutions when innovators focus on problems affecting local communities.
“Mobile money didn’t come from Swiss banks. It grew here because millions of Africans had phones but no bank accounts. And somebody solved that problem. That is African innovation,” he said.
He encouraged entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers to apply the same approach to sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, logistics and finance, where locally developed technologies could address pressing challenges.
He said the continent must move beyond being a market for imported solutions and become a creator of products, services and technologies that generate economic value.
He also called for a shift from an economy dominated by job seekers to one that produces more entrepreneurs and employment opportunities.
“A nation of job seekers cannot survive. We need a nation of job creators,” he said.
Integrity must guide enterprise and sustainability
Sir Sam Jonah anchored his message on the principles outlined in John Wesley’s 1744 sermon, The Use of Money: “Earn all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can.”
He explained that earning should be driven by enterprise and innovation, saving should reflect sustainability, while giving should involve creating opportunities for others.
However, he warned that these principles would lose their value without integrity.
“Without integrity, gaining becomes greed, saving becomes hoarding, and giving becomes patronage,” he said.
He further emphasised the importance of trust in leadership, business and institutional development, noting that it takes considerable time to establish but can be destroyed quickly.
“Trust takes a decade to build and an afternoon to destroy,” he said.
Universities urged to prioritise digital literacy and job creation
The UCC Chancellor also challenged universities to prepare students for an economy increasingly shaped by digital technologies and innovation.
He called for digital literacy to become compulsory for all students, irrespective of their disciplines, including nursing, accounting and theology.
He also urged universities to ensure that research translates into practical solutions that benefit society, rather than remaining confined to academic publications and institutional shelves.
According to him, higher education institutions should measure their success not only by the buildings they construct but also by the businesses their graduates establish and the jobs they create.
“If by your 50th anniversary, your proudest report is not the buildings you built but the number of businesses and jobs your students created, then you would have lived your motto – Excellence, Morality, Service,” he said.