Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has warned that the future acceptance of mining in Ghana could be undermined if young people in mineral-rich communities continue to witness the extraction of wealth without gaining meaningful economic opportunities from it.

He made the remarks when he spoke at the National Mining Dialogue event organised by Asempa 94.7 FM and its flagship programme, Ekosiisen, in partnership with Semmis DS and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

Mr Gyamfi said the youth question represented one of the strongest reasons for Ghana to reconsider how the mining industry's social licence to operate is understood, arguing that community acceptance could not be sustained if young people felt excluded from the opportunities created by mineral extraction.

“For me, the strongest reason to rethink social licence is the youth question,” he said.

According to him, young people in mining communities see valuable resources being taken from their land every day, yet many do not see a corresponding pathway to decent employment, skills development, ownership or a secure economic future.

“In our mining communities, young people see wealth leave their land every day. Yet too many do not see any path to decent work, skills, ownership, and a meaningful future,” Mr Gyamfi said.

He described that situation as a contradiction that could have serious consequences for the relationship between mining companies and host communities.

“That contradiction is dangerous, it is not fair, and it is not sustainable,” he said.

According to him, young people can live in communities surrounded by valuable mineral deposits while remaining largely disconnected from the wealth generated by those resources.

For such communities, the presence of a mine may be highly visible, but the opportunities available to local young people may be limited to temporary or low-skilled jobs.

The GoldBod CEO argued that such an arrangement could create a sense of exclusion, particularly among a generation seeking decent work, skills and opportunities to establish sustainable livelihoods.

The issue, therefore, is not simply whether a mining company has secured the necessary permits or whether it has fulfilled its formal obligations to a host community. It is whether young people believe that mining has a meaningful place for them.

Mr Gyamfi questioned a situation in which young people are left with little more than casual employment opportunities while watching a valuable industry operate within their communities.

“Social licence cannot survive where you believe mining has a place for them except as casual labourers and bystanders,” he said.

The GoldBod CEO also criticised the tendency to view frustrated young people in mining communities primarily as a security concern.

He referred to perceptions of some young people as “troublesome agitators and security risk”, suggesting that such characterisations could obscure the underlying economic grievances that need to be addressed.

Rather than viewing dissatisfied youth simply through a security lens, he called for their concerns to be understood as part of the broader development challenge facing mining communities.

“The social licence must therefore be reimagined as a development compact with the youth,” he said.