Gov’t reclaims 800-acre galamsey site at Nkroful

The latest intervention involves the reclamation and reforestation of about 800 acres of degraded land along the River Subri at Nkroful, the hometown of the first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

The project forms part of the government’s renewed commitment to restoring forest reserves, polluted water bodies, and abandoned mining lands that have suffered years of destruction from illegal mining operations across the country.

The reclamation exercise is being undertaken by RM Ecorestore Ghana Limited after the mined-out lands were officially handed over to the company for restoration works.

The project is being sponsored by Zijin Golden Ridge Limited, also known as Zijin Ghana, a large-scale mining company operating at Akyem, under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme through an initiative championed by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.

Government officials say the intervention has saved the state millions of cedis that would otherwise have been spent from the Consolidated Fund to undertake the reclamation exercise.

Under the project, thousands of cassia and teak seedlings are expected to be planted across the degraded landscape to restore vegetation cover, improve soil quality, and gradually return the land to productive use.

Authorities say the initiative is not only intended to restore the environment but also create employment opportunities and support long-term economic activities within mining-affected communities.

The Nkroful exercise follows a similar land reclamation and tree planting programme currently ongoing at Nyankumase in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, where extensive areas destroyed by illegal mining have already been replanted with cassia and teak seedlings under a long-term rehabilitation programme.

Speaking during a brief ceremony to officially commence the reclamation works at Nkroful, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, stressed that environmental restoration has become a national priority due to the increasing destruction of forests, farmlands, and water bodies caused by illegal mining activities.

According to the Minister, President John Dramani Mahama remains deeply concerned about the rapid degradation of the country’s natural resources and has therefore directed that aggressive steps be taken to restore affected lands and protect major rivers from further pollution.

Armah-Kofi Buah explained that the ongoing reclamation projects form part of broader environmental interventions under the government’s “Tree for Life” and “Blue Water” initiatives, which are aimed at promoting reforestation, restoring polluted water bodies, and encouraging responsible land use practices in mining-prone communities.

He noted that abandoned mining pits continue to pose serious environmental and health dangers to nearby communities, making reclamation efforts critical to protecting lives and livelihoods.

The Minister further stated that the government intends to convert many of the restored lands into productive agricultural lands, forest plantations, and other development-oriented projects capable of generating long-term economic benefits for residents.

Since returning to office in 2025, President Mahama has identified environmental restoration and the fight against illegal mining as key pillars of his administration’s development agenda.

The government maintains that the reclamation exercises are part of wider efforts to tackle galamsey while ensuring that degraded lands are not left permanently destroyed.

Armah-Kofi Buah assured that more abandoned and degraded mining sites across the country would soon be reclaimed as the government intensifies measures to restore the environment and preserve natural resources for future generations.