More than 500 people attended the National Mining Dialogue 2026 organised by Asempa 94.7 FM and its flagship programme, Ekosii Sen, exceeding the organisers' initial expectation of 200 participants.

The event was organised in partnership with Semmis DS Group Limited, with support from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and other stakeholders at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City.

Speaking on the sidelines of the dialogue, Programmes Manager of Asempa FM and host of Ekosii Sen, Philip Osei Bonsu, said the turnout had surpassed the organisers' expectations and demonstrated strong public interest in discussions surrounding Ghana's mining sector.

According to Mr Osei Bonsu, the organisers had planned for about 200 patrons based on the capacity of the venue. However, registration records showed that more than 500 people attended the event.

“We planned for 200 patrons because of the hall, but from the records at our registration desk, we had over 500 people attending this event, which for us was beyond our expectation,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to the Ghanaian public for supporting the event, while also acknowledging the organisations and institutions that contributed to its organisation.

He specifically mentioned Semmis DS Group Limited, which collaborated with Ekosii Sen to put the event together, as well as the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, GoldBod and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

Mr Osei Bonsu also praised the wider team at Multimedia Group for its role in delivering the event.

The Asempa FM programmes manager said the organisers intend to conduct a comprehensive review of the maiden edition before making decisions about the next National Mining Dialogue.

He said the review would assess the strengths and shortcomings of the event and guide decisions on the venue, date and format for subsequent editions.

“We hope this will serve as a springboard for subsequent years, and next year's National Mining Dialogue would even be bigger and better than we saw this year,” he said.

He explained that decisions about the next edition would not be taken immediately, as the organisers first needed to evaluate the event and consider feedback from participants and partners.

According to him, the review would provide the basis for determining whether the next dialogue would remain in Accra or be moved to another part of the country.

Mr Osei Bonsu said there was no commitment to holding future editions of the dialogue in Accra, noting that previous mining-related discussions organised by the station had taken place outside the capital.

He cited the first National Dialogue on Mining, which focused on illegal mining and was held at Wassa Akropong in the Western Region.

He said this history meant that it remained possible for a future edition to be organised in another region.

“It is possible next year can be out of Accra. It is very possible,” he said.

However, he stressed that the location would depend on the outcome of the post-event review.

The organisers, he said, would consider the lessons from this year's programme before deciding where and when to hold the next edition.

The National Mining Dialogue brought together stakeholders and members of the public to discuss issues affecting Ghana's mining industry.

The involvement of government institutions and mining-sector bodies reflected the organisers' intention to create a platform where industry concerns could be discussed alongside government policy and public interests.

Mr Osei Bonsu said the strong attendance provided encouragement for the organisers to continue developing the dialogue into a recurring platform for conversations about mining.