Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has urged the government to enforce responsible small-scale mining practices, warning that Ghana’s gold production must not come at the cost of poisoned rivers, destroyed farmlands and environmental damage.
He said the state should focus on ensuring that gold is mined responsibly rather than stopping small-scale mining altogether.
“In other words, even our small-scale mining can be done in a way in which it does not leave the residue of death, and that is what the state must insist on, not to stop getting the gold, but it must be gotten in the right way,” he said.
Prof Adei was speaking at the 37th CIMG Annual National Marketing Performance Awards at the Labadi Beach Hotel on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
The event was held under the theme, “Brand Ghana Reimagined: Trust, Innovation and Growth in the AI Economy.”
He acknowledged the significant increase in Ghana’s recorded gold output, which he attributed largely to improved capture of production from small-scale miners following the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
According to him, recorded gold production rose from 63 tonnes in 2024 to 103 tonnes in 2025, with much of the increase coming from small-scale mining.
He said the development had helped bring more gold into the formal system, addressing previous concerns that significant quantities of gold from Ghana were being recorded in destinations such as Dubai and India without being reflected in the country’s official production figures.
Prof Adei said proceeds from gold sales to the Bank of Ghana were also contributing to the accumulation of the country’s reserves.
However, he cautioned that part of the gains was supported by favourable international gold prices, which he said were around $4,000, warning that a significant fall in prices could create difficulties.
He stressed that the economic benefits of small-scale mining should not overshadow the environmental and financial costs to the state.
Prof Adei cited figures from the Institute of Fiscal Studies indicating that small-scale mining accounted for more than half of Ghana’s gold exports in the previous year, while the state collected no mineral royalties from the sector, according to the figures he referenced.
He also raised concerns about the pollution of rivers and the destruction of farmlands caused by irresponsible mining practices.
“Nobody is saying we should not get our gold out, but not at the cost of dangerous chemicals and the cultivation of death,” he said.
He argued that Ghana could increase gold production while enforcing safeguards to protect the environment and public health.
“Other countries have gold, but they don’t have galamsey,” he said, urging the state to ensure that mining activities were conducted in ways that did not leave communities and ecosystems exposed to lasting harm.