Galamsey: President Mahama commends Newmont for reclaiming 800 acres of degraded land

President John Mahama has commended Newmont for reclaiming 800 acres of degraded land and putting it to use for crop farming. Speaking at the Mining in Motion conference on Monday, 19th October, the President acknowledged the mining company's contribution to restoring devastated land for agricultural production.

His remarks came as he disclosed that 12,000 acres of land in Ghana had been affected by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, with reclamation underway.

"Illegal mining has destroyed approximately 12,000 acres of land in Ghana. We have currently embarked on the reclamation of these forest reserves, and I want to commend Newmont for the excellent work they are doing in the area of reclamation. Newmont has reclaimed 800 acres of mining outlines and planted them with useful crops," he said at the conference.

President Mahama also said 48 of the country's 288 forest reserves had been affected by illegal mining. According to him, the affected reserves had since been recovered and were undergoing restoration.

Newmont's mining operations in Ghana include Ahafo South, which began commercial production in 2006 and combines open-pit and underground gold mining. The company expanded its operations with Ahafo North, which reached commercial production in October 2025.

The operation comprises four open-pit mines and a stand-alone processing mill, with an initial mine life of 13 years. Newmont previously operated the Akyem mine but sold it in April 2025, leaving Ahafo South and Ahafo North as its two operational sites in Ghana.