A JoyNews Research analysis of trade data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) put Ghana as the highest importer of excavators in West Africa, outspending Nigeria by more than double.

According to the data, Ghana spent $205 million on excavator imports in 2023, while Nigeria, with a much larger economy and landmass, spent only $94 million.

On the continental scale, Ghana ranked second, trailing only South Africa, which imported excavators worth $436 million within the same period.

JoyNews sources have further uncovered evidence of a surge in excavator clearance at the Tema Port, much of it occurring in the night.

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In June 2025, Transport Minister Joseph Nikpe Bukari voiced concern over the trend, warning that Ghana now receives over 200 excavators through the Tema Port every single day. He described the influx as nothing short of an “invasion” that poses serious regulatory and environmental risks.

“We receive over 200 excavators daily into our port,” he told JoyNews.

This dramatic surge has propelled excavators into Ghana’s top ten most imported products, overtaking staples such as mobile phones, computers, and sugar.

The revelations come at a sensitive moment—barely 24 hours after the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) called for significant tariff increases, citing the devastating impact of illegal mining (galamsey) on their operations. Excavators are a key driver of the galamsey industry, fueling its expansion and destruction of water bodies, forests, and farmlands.

A deeper probe by JoyNews into OEC data confirms the worrying trend. Excavators, which were not a significant import a decade ago, have now broken into the top tier. Between 2013 and 2023, Ghana’s total excavator import bill reached $967 million.

In 2023 alone, excavators became Ghana’s 10th most imported product (out of 4,282 categories), placing the country as the 34th largest excavator importer in the world (out of 215). China emerged as the leading source, accounting for $95.4 million, followed by India ($67.7M), Belgium ($11.9M), Japan ($6.23M), and South Korea ($6.21M).

Industry experts warn that the rising inflow of excavators is directly linked to the intensification of illegal mining. They caution that ignoring this correlation could further entrench the menace of galamsey, which has already pushed Ghana’s major rivers and farmlands to the brink.

The Transport Minister disclosed to JoyNews that in just three weeks, more than 1,200 excavators were detained at the port following a temporary suspension of clearance.

“In our support of the fight against illegal mining, we are putting in place a prohibition on the importation of excavators into our country. For three weeks now, after ordering a halt in their clearance, we have over 1,200 plus excavators stuck at Tema Port,” he said.

Mr Bukari added that intelligence reports indicate nearly 3,000 more excavators are currently en route to Ghana by sea, describing the development as both “disturbing and worrying.”