“It Will Take 50 to 100 Years to Restore Lands Impacted by Galamsey” – Information Minister

Minister of Information Fatimatu Abubakar has cautioned that lands affected by illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey, could take between 50 to 100 years to restore their vegetative cover. Speaking on Adom FM’s Political Talk Show, Burning Issues, on Wednesday, October 16, she emphasized the severe contamination of farmlands due to harmful chemicals and heavy metals, such as mercury and cyanide, used in illegal mining operations.

“The destruction of the land is so significant that even if these areas are designated as forest reserves, recovering the natural soil will pose a considerable challenge,” she stated.

Abubakar elaborated that if no action is taken to utilize the degraded lands and they are left to recover naturally, the process will require decades. “If we choose not to utilize the degraded lands and allow them to recover naturally, it will take 50 to 100 years to regain their vegetative nature,” she warned.

The Minister also announced that the Minerals Commission has awarded contracts aimed at reclaiming these degraded lands. To effectively tackle the galamsey crisis, the government plans to facilitate easier access to mining licenses for interested parties.

Additionally, Abubakar revealed that the government is in the process of introducing a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to revoke mining activities in forest reserves, in line with an agreement reached with Organized Labour.

She further addressed the government’s efforts in community mining, noting that 25 community mining sites have already been inaugurated, with plans to establish more in the near future.