The National Mining Dialogue 2026 is currently taking place today, August 18, 2026, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra, Ghana. Organised by Asempa 94.7 FM's afternoon flagship programme, Ekosiisen, in partnership with Semmis DS and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the event is centred around the theme, "Rethinking the social licence to operate".

The dialogue is focusing on several key issues shaping Ghana's mining sector, including local content and participation, the formalisation of small-scale mining, gold traceability, national reserve accumulation, and local value retention.

These reforms are expected to influence the future direction of the industry.

A major issue of the conference is the growing concern that the wealth generated by mining has not translated into meaningful development for many host communities, which continue to grapple with environmental degradation, unemployment, land disputes and limited economic opportunities.

Discussions are also centred on:

• Local content and participation in the mining value chain.
• Corporate social responsibility and how mining companies can deliver measurable social and economic benefits to communities.
• GoldBod's reforms aimed at formalising small-scale mining and strengthening gold traceability.
• National reserve accumulation and strategies for retaining more mining revenue within Ghana.

Among the expected outcomes are a conference communiqué, greater transparency on mining companies' community interventions and the development of a proposed "Catchment Charter" to strengthen accountability between mining companies and host communities.

Some of the notable dignitaries expected are: Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II; Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff to the President of Ghana; Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.