Ghana’s Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has taken a decisive step toward ending presidential authority over mining in forest reserves. He has officially laid a new legislative instrument before Parliament that will permanently repeal L.I. 2462 — the regulation that, since 2022, enabled the President to grant mining leases in protected forests.
This latest move signals a significant reversal in national mining policy, aimed at protecting the country’s remaining natural forest landscapes and addressing deforestation driven by both legal and illegal mining activities.
The Minister explained that the proposal follows months of intense public pressure combined with a detailed national consultation process that determined the controversial regulation should be completely eliminated. Prior to this, only one portion of the instrument — Regulation 32 — had been amended, paving the way for the introduction of L.I. 2501 on June 2, 2025. However, growing concern over the state of forest reserves pushed the government to go further.
By revoking L.I. 2462 entirely, the administration intends to restore stronger environmental safeguards that existed under earlier regulatory frameworks, particularly those issued in 2020. Armah-Kofi Buah indicated that the decision reflects the government’s continued commitment to prioritizing conservation and responsible management of natural resources.
Once Parliament approves the new regulation, the President’s discretionary authority to approve mining within forest reserves will be abolished. This will reinforce the protected status of Ghana’s forests and ensure far stricter control over any attempts to conduct mining activities in those sensitive environments.
