The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has set a January 20, 2026 deadline for 50 mining companies to put their operations in order or risk losing their licences.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has set a January 20, 2026 deadline for 50 mining companies to put their operations in order or risk losing their licences.

This is contained in a document sighted by the Independent Ghana.

“… the underlisted companies have the option to submit petitions and supporting documentation to a three-member committee at the Ministry, provided they have legitimate concerns regarding the proposed licence revocations,” a portion of the document read.

It added that, “The committee will review all the submitted requests and make recommendations to the Minister for final action. All licences for which the status remains unchanged after the stated deadline will be revoked.”

These fifty companies are known as, Koantwi Mining Co. Ltd, Planet One Natural Resources Limited, Omnicad Exploration & Mineral Resources, Bugdono Co. Ltd, GM Group of Companies Limited, Hapic Mining Limited, Cape North Limited, Optec Limited, Tera Nayo Limited, Ghana-Russia-CIS Limited, Ghana-Russia-CIS Limited, Akoase Resources Ltd, Besaz Limited, Golden Team Mining Co. Ltd, Akosdwomo Company Ltd, Akosdwomo Company Ltd, Fabkids Ltd Company, Omnicad Exploration & Mineral Resources, Omnicad Exploration & Mineral Resources, Omnicad Exploration & Mineral Resources.""SK Ofosu Co. Ltd (Area B), SK Ofosu Co. Ltd, Supra Natural Resources Limited, Supra Natural Resources Limited, Supra Natural Resources Limited, Supra Natural Resources Limited, Bugudon 2 Co. Ltd, Kambale Graphite Ltd, Ashanti Bauxite Ltd, Clean Jobs Resources Limited, Unipower Mining Co Ltd, Trans Atlantic Logistics Limited, Trans Atlantic Logistics Limited, OneX International Company Ltd, FJ Minerals Limited, Mech Resources Limited, Planet One Natural Resources Limited, Planet One Natural Resources Limited, Elite Minerals Chana Limited (Prospecting License)."

In October, a report from the office of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) suggested a significant growth in Ghana’s mining and extractive industries in 2024, continuing their upward trend.

According to the NDPC, the government granted 343 new mineral rights to different companies to support mining activities. Before the government granted the new mineral rights in 2024, the total number of mineral rights stood at 1,251. The new additions brought the cumulative total to 1,594 by the end of that year.

Mineral rights in Ghana refer to the legal authority granted by the state to individuals or companies to explore, develop, and extract mineral resources from the land. These rights are issued and regulated by the Minerals Commission under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).

The increase in mining licenses, according to NDPC, resulted in a significant increase in production of minerals such as gold, among other minerals, positioning Ghana atop among other neighbours in the region as Africa’s leading gold producer in 2024. Gold output rose sharply to 5,059,239 ounces, compared to 3,989,792 ounces in 2023, marking about 27 percent.

Diamond, bauxite, and manganese also went up by 54.6 percent. Altogether, Ghana’s mineral production was valued at USD 11.9 billion in 2024.

“ A total of 343 mineral rights were granted to companies in 2024. Illegal mining (Galamsey) remains a challenging environmental issue in 2024. Ghana was Africa’s leading gold producer in 2024 (2024: 5,059,239 ounces; 2023: 3,989,792 ounces). The total value of mineral production (comprising gold, diamond, bauxite, and manganese) experienced exceptional growth, increasing by 54.6 percent to USD 11.9 billion in 2024. A total of 1,135,242 jobs were created by the extractive industry in 2024”, parts of the report read.

Given Ghana’s current unemployment rate—estimated at about 3.1% as of mid-2025, according to projections by Fitch Solutions and Trading Economics—the extractive sector has made a significant contribution through the jobs it created in 2024.

While the industry’s growth has contributed significantly to the country’s economy, NDPC highlighted the damage currently being caused by the hike in illegal small-scale mining activities, popularly known as “galamsey”

It said this illegal activity threatens sustainable development, even as more legal mining investments are made.

Earlier this year, the government revoked all small-scale mining licences granted after December 7, 2024, due to procedural lapses in their issuance.

Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, announced the decision during a joint press briefing on March 19, 2025, emphasizing the need for regulatory compliance in the sector.

“Now, we are going full steam ahead to revoke all licences based on the findings. Even all licences, it’s mostly licences that were issued from December 7, that is hereby revoked, whether you have EPA licences or not, because the finding is very clear. Those licences from December 7 were rushed. Review processes were not followed; the right things were not done,” Mr. Buah stated.

The move follows recommendations from key regulatory institutions, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forestry Commission, and the Water Resources Commission. Authorities say the decision aligns with the government’s broader crackdown on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which has contributed to environmental degradation.

Under Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which was passed in November 2022 during the tenure of former President Nana Akufo-Addo, the government had the authority to issue mining licences in forest reserves. During his administration, over 2,100 mining-related permits were granted, including a sharp increase of 318 licences in the final week of his presidency. The law faced heavy criticism for allegedly facilitating environmental destruction tied to unregulated mining activities.

With the revocation now in effect, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is expected to implement stricter measures to ensure that future mining permits adhere to due process and environmental guidelines.

The move, which authorities claimed formed part of the government's efforts to crack down on illegal mining, which causes damage to our water bodies and vegetation.