President John Dramani Mahama has praised the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) for awarding the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) a contract to reclaim 253 acres of the Tano-Nimri Forest damaged by illegal mining.
The President made the remarks at the 2026 Mining in Motion Forum on Monday, October 19, 2026. The event was organised by the African Minerals Policy Centre.
He described the project as an important intervention in tackling the environmental damage caused by illegal small-scale mining, widely known in Ghana as galamsey.
“I also commend the GoldBod. The GoldBod has awarded the Ghana Armed Forces a contract to reclaim 253 acres of land destroyed in the famous Tano Nimri Forest. That work is ongoing,” President Mahama stated.
The reclamation programme is intended to restore parts of the forest that have been degraded by mining activity. It also highlights the need for Ghana’s efforts to formalise the small-scale gold sector to be accompanied by action to repair the environmental harm caused by irresponsible operations.
By involving the Ghana Armed Forces, GoldBod has brought the institution’s capacity into the restoration work. However, details including the value of the contract, its implementation timeline and the specific targets for rehabilitation would still have to be confirmed by the relevant authorities.
President Mahama’s comments placed the Tano-Nimri project within the wider national debate over responsible management of Ghana’s mineral resources. They also underlined the need for the country’s gold wealth to support sustainable development without worsening damage to forests and other natural assets.
The intervention is expected to focus attention on the rehabilitation of degraded forest land and on strengthening Ghana’s response to the environmental destruction linked to illegal mining.
The project comes as GoldBod continues its role in regulating and formalising Ghana’s gold-trading system, particularly in the small-scale mining sector. Its involvement in the reclamation effort adds an environmental aspect to the national drive to ensure that the benefits of gold production are not secured at the expense of the country’s forests and natural resources.
