Former Minerals Commission CEO, Dr Tony Aubynn, has raised concerns over the reported approval of over 300 mining applications within a short period, describing the situation as "quite strange."

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Tuesday, February 18, he highlighted the complexity and lengthy nature of the mineral licensing process, stating that it typically takes up to 150 days for full approval.

"The process of granting a mineral license is very complex and long. The law provides for a maximum of 150 days—90 days for the Minerals Commission and 60 days for the Minister to approve it.

"The tendency is for applications to pile up and then get signed in a short period. It is strange to see 300 applications made and approved within such a short timeframe," he remarked.

Dr Aubynn suggested that while some delays in processing applications are common, particularly at the ministerial level, the sudden approval of such a large number of licenses raises questions.

"...It would definitely be very difficult to complete one mineral license application in such a short time, let alone 300. Even within the legal timeframe of 150 days, some applications are not completed," he stated.

The former Minerals Commission boss expressed particular concern about the implications of the approved licenses, especially in light of ongoing debates over small-scale mining and its environmental impact.

Dr Aubynn emphasised the need for due diligence in approving mining applications and called for transparency in the process.

"This is happening at a time when there is heightened concern over the effects of small-scale mining. We don’t even know what types of licenses were granted—whether for large-scale or small-scale operations.

"If these were small-scale mining licenses, the environmental impact could be significant. Additionally, if these licenses were issued for operations within forest reserves, the implications would be even more concerning," he warned.

His remarks follow the Minerals Commission updating its records, revealing that 318 mining-related licenses were to commence in the final week of former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration—more than tripling the 102 initially reported.

This latest revision also indicates that a total of 328 mining-related licenses have been issued in 2025 so far. Of this number, 318 were granted between January 1 and January 6, just before President John Dramani Mahama was sworn into office.

• Read also: Akufo-Addo’s final week in office saw 102 mining licenses issued

This means the current administration has issued only 10 licenses, an increase from the single license initially commenced in JoyNews' earlier report.

Total Active Mining Licenses Now at 2,246

With the revised figures, Ghana's total number of active mining-related licenses has now risen to 2,246, marking an increase of 119 licenses from the previous count of 2,127.

The update has also led to a revision of the total number of licenses issued during former President Akufo-Addo’s eight-year tenure (January 6, 2017–January 6, 2025).

Initially, data from JoyNews indicated that 2,037 mining-related licenses were issued under his administration, representing 95.7% of all active licenses at the time.

However, the revised figures now put this number at 2,147, reflecting an increase of 110 licenses.