EIGHT hundred acres of land once devastated by illegal mining at Nyakumase, near Manso Adubia in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, have been successfully reclaimed under President John Dramani Mahama’s renewed fight against galamsey.
Inspecting the reclaimed site, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, reaffirmed government’s commitment to restoring degraded lands across the country.
“We are moving to reclaim our lands, one district at a time. Let us all join hands to turn Ghana back to the Gold Coast era,” he stated.
With Nyakumase serving as a flagship project, the Galamsey Rehabilitation Initiative reflects the government’s determination to halt illegal mining while restoring damaged ecosystems.
Only a few years ago, the area bore the deep scars of galamsey—open pits filled with stagnant, murky water, cocoa farms buried under gravel, and streams polluted with silt. Today, the same land tells a different story, with rows of cassia and teak saplings swaying gently in the breeze, signalling a green revival across 800 reclaimed acres.
The reclaimed site now stands as a living symbol of recovery. The tree species were deliberately selected for their resilience and economic value, with expectations that they will restore vegetation while creating sustainable forestry opportunities for future generations.
“The choice of species is deliberate,” Mr Armah-Kofi Buah explained. “We are restoring vegetation while ensuring future economic value through sustainable forestry. This project is about recovery, livelihoods and sustainability.”
He added that the Nyakumase project formed part of broader complementary initiatives such as Tree for Life and Blue Water, aimed at reinforcing ecological sustainability and protecting rivers, farmlands and forest reserves nationwide.
Beyond environmental restoration, officials say the project is expected to generate employment, stimulate local economic activity and convert mined-out lands into farmland, forest plantations and development-friendly zones.
Illegal mining continues to take a heavy toll on Ghana’s rivers and agricultural lands, depriving many communities of clean water and livelihoods. However, government insists it will not relent in its efforts to reverse the damage.
“We are only passing through this land, and we must preserve it for future generations. We are sowing green again, and this is encouraging. This year alone, we are planting an additional 20 million tree species,” the Minister disclosed.
The Galamsey Rehabilitation Initiative has already earmarked several other degraded sites across the country for similar interventions, signalling a nationwide scale-up of reclamation efforts.
For residents, the transformation is deeply personal. “We thought the land was gone forever,” said Kwaku Mensah, a farmer whose family lost its cocoa farm to illegal mining. “Now, with the trees coming back, we can dream again of farming and raising our families here.”
The Chief of Manso Adubia, Nana Doku Appiah Dankwa II, who was present at the site, expressed gratitude to the government for the project, describing it as a lifeline for the community and future generations.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, MANSO ADUBIA
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