Ghana mining communities must receive a more tangible share of the wealth generated from the country’s gold resources, GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi has said.
Speaking at the National Mining Dialogue 2026, Mr Gyamfi argued that mineral production figures and export earnings alone cannot provide an honest measure of the industry’s success.
The real test, he said, is whether mining creates prosperous towns, sustainable businesses and better livelihoods in the areas where the minerals are extracted.
“If we get this right, we will not only produce gold, but prosperous mining towns, strategic industries around our minerals and deeper community trust.” - GoldBod CEO
Communities are economic shareholders
Mr Gyamfi called for host communities to be treated as active participants in the mineral economy, with greater access to jobs, technical training, contracts and mining related services.
“Mining communities must be recognised as economic shareholders rather than merely land donors,” he said.
New mining projects, he argued, should come with clear commitments on local employment, infrastructure and business development. Young people also need practical pathways into technical roles and services linked to mining operations.
The proposals form part of his “Involve, Protect and Expand” framework for reshaping Ghana’s mining industry. The first pillar puts community participation at the centre of mineral development.
The framework also demands stronger protection for lands, rivers and livelihoods affected by mining.
Mr Gyamfi said mineral extraction should not leave host communities with polluted water bodies, degraded farmland and few economic alternatives once mining operations end.
He advocated tougher reclamation and reforestation measures, together with formalisation and improved traceability in the artisanal and small scale mining sector.
More value must remain in Ghana
GoldBod wants Ghana to move beyond exporting minerals in their raw form. Mr Gyamfi identified local refining, jewellery manufacturing, mining services and other downstream industries as areas capable of creating jobs and retaining more mineral wealth within the country.
Expanding Ghanaian ownership must also be treated as a central part of mining policy, he said.
For GoldBod, the industry’s future scorecard should extend well beyond ounces produced or export receipts. It must consider “the jobs created, businesses developed, communities transformed and opportunities secured for future generations.”
That vision places mining towns where they have long demanded to be: at the centre of Ghana’s mineral economy.
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