Ghana’s mining future will no longer be measured by what is extracted from beneath the earth, but by how communities thrive above it.

That was the vision laid out by Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah during the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) in Obuasi on Wednesday, August 6.

“We stand at the crossroads of transformation—where mining ceases to be a curse on our land and becomes a catalyst for prosperity,” the Minister declared.

This sets the tone for what he called Ghana’s boldest step yet toward reclaiming the environment, reforming artisanal mining, and restoring hope to devastated communities.

Emphasising that mining should no longer be about “poverty-driven destruction,” Mr. Kofi-Buah painted a vivid contrast between the past and the future.

He described rCOMSDEP as a comprehensive response to years of unsafe, unregulated mining that has caused widespread environmental degradation and sparked deadly tensions in deprived communities.

He acknowledged the loss of lives tied to limited economic opportunities in mining regions, stressing that Ghana can no longer solve the illegal mining crisis “with guns and violence in place of sensitisation and stakeholder collaboration.”

He announced that, with the President and Cabinet’s approval, rCOMSDEP will introduce legal community-owned cooperatives, centralised processing plants using mercury-free technologies, mobile licensing teams, and training to professionalise the artisanal mining sector.

“We will elevate artisanal mining from a risky venture into a professionally regulated industry,” he said.

The programme also includes a major focus on skill development, especially for women and youth.

Mr. Kofi-Buah said mining communities will become “breadbaskets” through partnerships with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture under a new Agricultural Growth in Mining Areas Project.

“We will not just train miners, we will create innovators, agriculturists, tech entrepreneurs, and industry leaders,” he said, reminding Ghanaians that “minerals are finite” and the country must prepare for life beyond extraction.

He noted that rCOMSDEP will also reclaim degraded lands, turning them into farms, forests, and infrastructure.

A portion of mining revenues will be channelled into local development projects such as schools, hospitals, and clean water systems.

“Mining revenues will no longer vanish into private pockets,” he assured.

The Minister emphasised that one of his first directives in office was to disband the old Community Mining Scheme, which he said “was not truly community-centred.”

He explained that rCOMSDEP draws from lessons learned under that scheme and from the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme, but goes further by placing communities at the heart of the model.

Calling for unity, he said, “As the African proverb reminds us, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Today, rCOMSDEP is our collective stride toward lasting change.”

He outlined plans to roll out the programme nationwide in the coming weeks, with each cooperative receiving certification and training support from the University of Mines in Tarkwa.

He also revealed that large-scale mining companies will be required to support the cooperatives through logistics, knowledge transfer, and technical training.

“This programme is for all of us,” the Minister said, calling on government, traditional leaders, private partners, and the people to come together.

“We must collectively work to turn our waters blue and our forests green through responsible and sustainable mining.

"We begin that journey today. We must succeed. We have no option; it is our obligation to future generations.”