President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minerals Commission to immediately issue an operating licence to the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) for its model small-scale mining project.

The directive was given at UMaT’s 18th Special Congregation, during which the university conferred 55 postgraduate degrees, comprising six PhDs and 21 master’s degrees.

Addressing the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of UMaT, Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah, disclosed that the university had completed all required exploration work at the designated site and was only awaiting regulatory approval to begin mining operations.

He described the proposed mine as a potential game changer that could help promote responsible and well-regulated small-scale mining practices in Ghana.

President Mahama, who attended the ceremony at which the Chief Executive of Engineers and Planners, Ibrahim Mahama, was awarded a PhD, used the occasion to urge swift administrative action. He instructed the Minerals Commission to work closely with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to expedite the process.

“The Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission is here, and I wish that by the time we leave here he makes a commitment to issue the license to the university. His minister is also here, I expect his minister to direct him to issue that licence,” he said.

UMaT, Ghana’s leading specialised mining university, has for years sought to translate its academic and technical training into hands-on operational practice, with the aim of bridging the gap between theory and practical application in the mining sector.