IMANI Centre for Policy and Education

IMANI Centre for Policy and Education — think tank organizing policy dialogues and advocacy on economic diversity, governance, and environmental management in Ghana.

2026-06-022026-08-26

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

August 2026
14 AugJoy Online
… He made the disclosure during a policy engagement with the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education in Accra, where he outlined the government’s measures to tackle illegal mining and address challenges inherited in the mining sector. …
Prosecution biggest challenge in galamsey fight – Lands Minister
14 AugJoy Online
… The figures were revealed during a policy dialogue between the Ministry and the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education in Accra. …
Ghana loses 8,900 hectares of forest reserves to illegal mining
5 AugJoy Online
The IMANI Centre for Policy and Education is pleased to announce the appointment of its Founding President and Chief Executive Officer, Franklin Cudjoe, to Ghana’s Joint National United Nations Steering Committee (JSC), the country’s highest strategic oversight body established t …
Franklin Cudjoe appointed to Ghana’s Joint National-United Nations Steering Committee
3 AugJoy Online
JoyNews, in partnership with the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, will on Thursday, August 6, host a National Dialogue on Plastic Waste Management to examine how Ghana can strengthen efforts to tackle the country’s growing plastic pollution crisis. …
JoyNews, IMANI to host national dialogue on plastic waste management
June 2026
2 JunBusiness & Financial Times
… It will be recalled that the Vice-President in charge of Research at the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education and founder of mPedigree, Bright Simons, recently questioned legality of the mine’s operations before parliamentary ratification. …
Damang lease headed to parliament as gov’t defends continued operations

Politics

SYPALA 2026 academy brings students and professionals together

The News

Day Two of the Students and Young Professionals African Liberty Academy 2026, organised by the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education in partnership with UPSA, brought together students, young professionals, academics, entrepreneurs and policy thinkers for discussions on governance, economic freedom, development and public policy. The sessions focused on civil society, sustainable funding, youth participation, limited government, the rule of law and strong institutions.

12 hours ago · Joy Online →

Yesterday

SYPALA 2026 academy brings students and professionals together
Day Two of the Students and Young Professionals African Liberty Academy 2026, organised by the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education in partnership with UPSA, brought together students, young professionals, academics, entrepreneurs and policy thinkers for discussions on governance, economic freedom, development and public policy. The sessions focused on civil society, sustainable funding, youth participation, limited government, the rule of law and strong institutions.
12 hours ago · Joy Online →
CSOs must empower youth with leadership roles and resource control
WACSI's Head of Capacity Development called on civil society organisations to give young people greater decision-making power, including board positions and programme design roles, noting that youth-led movements across Africa are reshaping civic action and challenging traditional organisational structures.
14 hours ago · Joy Online →
Rule of law, not military, best enforces discipline in Africa
Lawyer and IMANI Africa Vice President Kofi Bentil argued that effective civilian law enforcement and the rule of law, rather than military intervention, are critical to maintaining order and discipline. He made the comments at the Students and Young Professionals African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) 2026, disagreeing with military leaders' calls for stronger military involvement in enforcing discipline across the continent.
14 hours ago · Joy Online →
African CSOs should diversify funding beyond donor grants
The Head of Capacity Development at WACSI told African civil society organisations to reduce dependence on donor funding and explore alternative revenue sources including diaspora giving, social enterprise, digital fundraising, and government contracts.
14 hours ago · Joy Online →
Limited government essential to prevent abuse and oppression
At SYPALA 2026, Kofi Bentil, Vice President of IMANI Africa, argued that government authority derives from citizens and must be limited to the specific powers they grant, warning that unchecked concentration of power leads to abuse and oppression.
14 hours ago · Joy Online →
IMANI urges Ghana to diversify economy beyond natural resources
The IMANI Centre for Policy and Education has called on Ghana to move away from heavy dependence on natural resources and raw-material exports toward a more diversified economic model. Economist Professor Godfred Bokpin argued that economies relying extensively on natural resources struggle to achieve sustainable growth, and that no country has achieved sustainable development solely through such a model.
18 hours ago · Joy Online →

Monday 24 August

SYPALA 2026 convenes 100 young Africans for economic policy dialogue
The Students & Young Professionals African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) 2026 opened at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, bringing together 100 young Africans for four days of intensive discussions on Africa's economic resilience, governance, innovation and leadership, themed "Africa's Ascent: Forging Resilient Economies & Inclusive Governance."
24 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 17 August

Lands minister backs strategic investor to revive VALCO
Ghana's Lands and Natural Resources Minister says VALCO is operating unsustainably below capacity and the government should seek a strategic investor to rehabilitate the smelter and help develop an integrated aluminium industry.
17 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Saturday 15 August

Lands Minister: galamsey prosecution, not arrest, is main challenge
The government has arrested 258 suspects and seized thousands of mining equipment pieces in its anti-galamsey campaign, but Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah said the real challenge is ensuring prosecutions reach conclusion in court, not the arrests themselves. The ministry is working with the Attorney-General's Department to address difficulties in prosecuting illegal mining cases.
15 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 14 August

Minister: 8,900 hectares of forest reserves destroyed by galamsey
Ghana's Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah says approximately 8,900 hectares of forest reserves have been completely degraded through illegal mining and other destructive activities, with nine forest reserves among the worst affected. He warned that restoring the areas would require substantial resources and stressed the need for stronger enforcement to prevent further destruction.
14 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Prosecution, not arrest, is galamsey fight bottleneck—Lands Minister
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister says government operations have arrested 258 people and seized large quantities of mining equipment in forest reserves as of July 2026, but prosecution of the arrested suspects remains the main challenge. The Ministry is engaging the Attorney-General's Department to address difficulties in prosecuting illegal mining cases.
14 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana loses 8,900 hectares of forest reserves to illegal mining
Ghana has lost approximately 8,900 hectares of forest reserves to illegal mining, with government operations resulting in 258 arrests and the seizure or immobilisation of 234 excavators, 2,728 pumping machines, and 1,724 changfan machines as of July 2026. The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources identified nine of Ghana's 288 forest reserves as severely affected and acknowledged that successful prosecution remains a major challenge in tackling the problem.
14 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 5 August

Franklin Cudjoe appointed to Ghana's UN Steering Committee
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President and CEO of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, has been appointed to Ghana's Joint National-United Nations Steering Committee, the country's highest strategic oversight body for guiding the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework covering 2027–2030.
5 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 3 August

JoyNews and IMANI host dialogue on plastic waste management
JoyNews and the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education will host a National Dialogue on Plastic Waste Management on August 6, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, environmental experts and civil society to discuss Ghana's proposed Extended Producer Responsibility framework, which aims to make manufacturers and importers accountable for the entire lifecycle of plastic products.
3 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 2 June

Damang Gold Mine lease agreement headed to parliament for ratification
The government will submit the Damang Gold Mine lease agreement to parliament for ratification following its takeover by Engineers and Planners after Gold Fields' lease expired. The Lands and Natural Resources Minister said suspending operations pending ratification was not viable given the thousands of jobs and economic activities linked to the mine.
2 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times →