The 5th Colloquium of the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP638), 2022 is currently underway at the University of Ghana.

It is jointly organized by the local organizing committee and members of the West African Exploration Initiative (WAXI).

It is being held under the theme: Geodynamics and Mineralization of Paleoproterozoic Formations for Sustainable Development.

The 5 days symposium (from December 4th - 9th, 2022) is divided into two parts; Part 1 - Two (2) days of conference proceedings in Accra, at the University of Ghana, and Part 2 - Three (3) days of field trips and the participants are drawn from all the 16 West African countries as well as France, England, Algeria and Morocco.

The symposium has brought together the international scientific community (academia and industry) to present research findings and engage in discussions centered on the theme, “Geodynamics and Mineralization of Paleoproterozoic Formations for Sustainable Development”.

The set of themes for the symposium cover geodynamics, mineralization, geochemistry, geochronology, geophysics, mapping, sedimentology, imagery, environment (pollution and deforestation related to mines), climate change and other related subjects.

In his welcome address for the opening ceremony, the Head of Earth Science Department of the University of Ghana and Chairman of the conference, Professor Larry Pax Chegbeleh said the meeting was designed to generate active exchanges between the actors of the various fields (enquiring, expert mining) in order to produce scientific knowledge on the geology of the WAC for the benefit of academia and teaching programmes.

It is also geared towards facilitating mining exploration, and to reinforce the capacity of the participants on the field methods of the Paleoproterozoic (Birimian) basement geology through the field trips (and possible sampling of specimens).

Prof Chegbeleh was encouraged to see huge participation from people all over to share their ideas.

“If you were in the session, you notice that everybody was speaking the language of sustainable development, sustainable development in the sense that, it looks like this generation we are actually about particular sustainable development-the handle the resources in the sense that future generations will come over and have it. But we have found ourselves in this era especially in Ghana where our environment is being degraded for galamsey, if our great grandfathers had started doing the environment like this would you have come to meet the environment like this.”

He, however, bemoaned the fact that “we now have coloured water we have now in some parts of the country due to illegal mining as "he submitted adding that “water is colourless and it should be so.”

On her part, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Earth Science Department, Dr. Yvvone Loh, said it is significant for Ghana to host the Conference as a nation because of the numerous resources we have, and we need to understand these diverse resources to employ by diverse professionals working in these areas, so there is need once in while converge and understand what anybody is doing at these fields and it it is such gathering that we share ideas and communicate our needs as a professional body.

She, however, highlighted the need for professionals to be engaged to deal with galamsey issues in the country-“you know what galamsey is doing to us, professional must take charge to regulate it, and make sure that those professional are themselves regulated” hence the proposal and drafting of first of its kind “Ghana Institute of Geoscientists Bill” currently before, Attorney General Department.   

The President of the Local Organizing Committee and also a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Ghana, Dr. Prince Ofori Amponsah mentioned that the Conference is to produce scientific knowledge in geology as well as understanding the West African people mining in a sustainable way.

This is to help ensure that there is no pollution is mining areas, adhere to zero carbon emission “as we take the industry players through the thematic area including how to update our minds when it comes to new knowledge in geology, mineral commodities and how to exploit them in a sustainable way”.