Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is a former Vice President of Ghana
The World Gold Council was in Ghana yesterday, January 6, 2026, engaging GoldBod on responsible Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) practices and pathways for formalisation.
Ghana is being considered for inclusion in a multi-country pilot programme aimed at sanitising the ASM sector through structured, traceable, and environmentally responsible interventions.
A key proposal under discussion was the establishment of centralised, common-user gold processing facilities at strategic locations to improve recovery, reduce environmental harm, and strengthen oversight.
Notably, as far back as November 2023, ideas championed by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia had already triggered preliminary government engagements with Dynacor, a globally recognised operator of centralised ASM processing plants referenced within LBMA and World Gold Council responsible-sourcing discussions.
This vision was later reinforced when Dr Bawumia publicly committed, in his 2024 manifesto on page 197, to delivering structured ASM processing infrastructure as part of a broader mining reform agenda.
It is instructive to note that this thinking placed Ghana ahead of the curve. We respectfully urge the government to sustain this momentum and follow through with decisive implementation.
Special commendations to the Ghana GoldBoard for continuing this important policy.