Small-scale miners must restore degraded lands – Mahama Ayariga

Minister-designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has called for small-scale miners to be held responsible for restoring lands degraded by their mining activities.

According to him, miners should be required to reclaim degraded lands and restore the environment after completing their operations.

Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, 2026, Ayariga said stronger monitoring was needed to ensure that mining activities were carried out responsibly.

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He said institutions responsible for regulating mining must be given more resources and personnel to effectively monitor mining activities across the country.

“Let’s invest in EPA and have a lot of people at the EPA. Let’s invest in the Minerals Commission and have a lot of mining engineers who identify every district and every single space where mining activity is taking place,” he said.

Ayariga explained that increased monitoring would help authorities identify illegal mining activities and ensure that operators followed the rules governing the sector.

He said miners must also be held accountable for the environmental damage caused by their operations.

“Whoever carries out that activity will reclaim the area and plant and make sure that they restore the area to what it was,” he stated.

According to the minister-designate, the country must combine strong enforcement with land reclamation to reduce the long-term effects of mining on communities and the environment.

He stressed that small-scale mining should not leave behind destroyed lands and polluted communities after miners have completed their operations.

ANAS/MA

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