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 Nyankomanse 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 land reclamation remains a top priority for government, and therefore he is happy about the progress so far.
According to him, government will continue to embark on more reclamation programmes to restore huge parcels of land that have been lost to wanton illegal mining activities across the length and breadth of the country.
“I am delighted to be here today at Manso Nyankomanse in the Ashanti Region to inspect the reclamation of degraded mined-out sites undertaken as part of 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 (Nyankomanse – 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 Limited for supporting the successful completion of the exercise.
In expressing his gratitude, the sector minister also called on the corporate community to collaborate with government in spearheading such initiatives.
This, he said, will help in the collective restoration of the environment that has been lost to prolong illegal mining activities.
“I commend Newmont Ghana Limited for supporting 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 good job 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 emphasised.
The Minister was accompanied by his Special Advisor, Prof. J. S. Y Kumah; Director of Forestry at the Lands Ministry, Mr. Joseph Osiakwan; CEO of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh; NAIMOS Director of Operations, Colonel Dominic Buah; Spokesperson to the Minsiter, Mahmoud Kabore and Media Relations Officer at the Ministry, Paa Kwesi Schandorf.
Speaking at the site, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, also commended the sector minister for his bold commitment to fighting the menace of illegal mining.
In his remarks, he said that although the fight against galamsey has been challenging, he is impressed by the political will of the minister in helping to address the situation.
Dr Amoakohene therefore pledged his continuous support to combat the menace, especially in the Ashanti Region — adding that although government is not against mining, it will continue to deal with persons who destroy the environment.
The District Chief Executive and the Chief of the area also expressed gratitude to government, adding that they will also continue to safeguard the environment from all destructive mining activities.
The restoration of degraded lands is part of 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. This, government says, will soon be addressed through aggressive land reclamation efforts in partnership with the private sector.
