Also known as: Minister for Lands
Government ministry overseeing mining policy, land management and natural resources, recently implementing contract mining safeguards and formalisation initiatives.
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources
Every mention in the Ghanaian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… In a Facebook post on Monday, August 31, 2026, he said Dr Bawumia, then Head of the Economic Management Team, held strategic meetings with relevant stakeholders before directing the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to engage stakeholders ahead of the programme’s formal lau …
Bawumia was brainchild behind Domestic Gold Purchase Programme – Samuel JinaporDaily Guide
… Under the agreed framework, Adamus Resources Limited, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission will work together to develop a twelve-month roadmap for turning around the mine. …
Adamus Resources Limited welcomes government reprieve and reaffirms commitment to a sustainable futureJoy Online
… The project was delivered through a multi-stakeholder partnership involving the Minerals Commission, Newmont Ahafo South Mine, the Asutifi North District Assembly, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and the paramount chiefs of Kenyasi No. …
Newmont commissions GH¢28m sports complex in Kenyasi to boost youth developmentJoy Online
… The call follows the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources’ inauguration of a negotiating team on August 21, 2026, to negotiate definitive terms with a prospective strategic investor for the retooling and expansion of VALCO. …
ICU Ghana opposes proposed VALCO private investment, demands review of 70% equity transferJoy Online
… The project was realized through the joint cooperation of the Minerals Commission, Newmont Ahafo South Mine, the Asutifi North District Assembly, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and the paramount chiefs of Kenyasi No. …
Minerals Commission inaugurates GH¢28m multipurpose sports complex in KenyasiJoy Online
… The clarification follows remarks attributed to the Finance Director of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) during the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources’ mid-year performance review meeting, suggesting that local cable manufacturers rely on imported aluminium wire rod. …
Western Rod and Wire calls for recognition of existing local aluminium rod productionJoy Online
… Amoakohene also commended the leadership of the Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for taking responsibility for the completion of the regional office. …
Development must not restart after every change of government – Dr AmoakoheneThe Ghanaian Times
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has inaugurated a Negotiations Team to lead talks with a strategic investor to modernise and expand the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO). …
Team formed to negotiate VALCO modernisation dealJoy Online
The Member of Parliament for Manhyia North and former Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Akwasi Konadu, has called on the government to urgently review the Blue Water Guards programme following allegations of bribery and impersonation involving nine of its members. …
Galamsey: Ghana’s rivers cannot afford another failed experiment – Akwasi KonaduJoy Online
… hose future has been cut short because someone, in his quest for money, left a pit uncovered within some of these areas that lead to farmlands.” As a result, Dr Amoakohene emphasised that the Regional Security Council, with support from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources …
23 lives lost to abandoned illegal mining pits in Ashanti Region – Regional MinisterThe Lands Commission will begin legal proceedings against lessees of state and vested lands who have failed to pay ground rent, with regional offices directed to identify at least 50 defaulters each. As of August 2026, the Commission had collected GH¢40.7 million in ground rent, representing 90.4 per cent of its annual target of GH¢45 million.
23 hours ago · The Ghanaian Times →
The Lands Commission will begin legal proceedings against lessees of state and vested lands who have failed to pay ground rent, with regional offices directed to identify at least 50 defaulters each. As of August 2026, the Commission had collected GH¢40.7 million in ground rent, representing 90.4 per cent of its annual target of GH¢45 million.
23 hours ago · The Ghanaian Times →
Ghana's Minerals and Mining (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations require Ghanaian companies to conduct surface mining and hold at least 50 percent interest in underground mining partnerships. The policy is intended to create direct and indirect employment for skilled and unskilled Ghanaian workers in mining operations.
27 October 2026 · Joy Online →
An assessment of 23 government ministries ranked the Ministry of the Interior first with 80.26%, while the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry placed last with 48.08%. The Index of Government Institutions' Performance Towards Economic Prosperity evaluated five areas of institutional performance including service delivery, financial management, transparency, workforce efficiency and public engagement.
27 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Minerals Income Investment Fund, supported by Zijin Golden Ridge Limited, Ghana International Bank, and three other financial institutions, has partnered with the Forestry Commission to rehabilitate and restore 50 acres of degraded land in the Subri River Forest Reserve over two years as part of their corporate environmental and social responsibility efforts.
26 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's parliamentary Minority has called for the resignation or dismissal of Ghana Gold Board CEO Sammy Gyamfi over comments it says endorse illegal mining, though GoldBod claims a video circulating on social media was selectively edited and misrepresented remarks made during an engagement with artisanal and small-scale miners in March 2026.
26 October 2026 · The Chronicle →
The Ghana Gold Board has begun consulting stakeholders on an Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Formalisation and Financing Support Programme, planned for 2027 launch, intended to bring informal miners into regulated systems, improve their access to financing, and strengthen oversight of mining activities.
25 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana Gold Board dismissed a viral video as selectively edited, clarifying that its CEO's remarks on transitioning informal miners into formal operations do not constitute endorsement of illegal mining. The Board stated that government policy aims to end illegality by formalising eligible operators through licensing, regulation, and accountability.
24 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat plans to extend its river protection operations to two more major water bodies by the end of 2026. Operation Water Shield on the River Birim and Ankobra will be complemented by Operation Green Shield targeting illegal mining in the Atiwa Forest Reserve, supported by sustained patrols and a planned dedicated riverine unit with the Ghana Navy.
23 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana Mineworkers' Union has rejected the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources' claim of extensive consultations over government directives on contract mining, calling the assertion "factually inaccurate." The Union says it petitioned the Ministry in August over concerns that the Local Content Policy could expose mines and workers to exploitation and weaken labour protections, but no practical steps to address these concerns had been taken as of late October.
22 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat plans Operation Greenshield, a forest protection intervention beginning at Atiwa Forest Reserve, to combat illegal mining through clearing affected areas, securing them against renewed encroachment, and handing responsibility to state agencies for long-term protection.
22 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat has reaffirmed its determination to halt illegal mining in Ghana's rivers, forests, farms and plantations, targeting both illegal miners and the networks supporting them to protect environmentally sensitive areas and livelihoods.
22 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The government plans to establish gold processing centres for small-scale mining cooperatives, with the first facilities expected in the first quarter of 2027, aiming to increase gold recovery rates from about 30 per cent to approximately 70 per cent and reduce dependence on mercury and cyanide. The initiative is part of efforts to formalise small-scale mining, improve traceability, and support the registration of nearly 100 small-scale mining cooperatives by the end of 2026.
22 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's Environment Minister says mining companies must ensure host communities benefit from natural resources and avoid leaving them with poverty and degradation when mines close, extending responsibility beyond extraction to include land reclamation and livelihood improvement.
22 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has announced three measures to protect workers' wages, benefits and conditions of service as mining companies transition from owner mining to contract mining. The measures require the Minerals Commission to prevent deterioration in workers' employment conditions, harmonise remuneration across the mining industry value chain, and categorise eligible mining contractors according to their capacity.
21 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The government has assured mineworkers that no employee should suffer a reduction in wages, benefits or conditions of service as mining companies transition from owner mining to contract mining. Workers employed by mining contractors must receive salaries, wages, allowances, benefits and other incentives equivalent to those enjoyed by owner mining workers performing comparable work.
21 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's government has set November 30, 2026, as the deadline for the Minerals Commission to implement additional safeguards under the contract mining policy to protect workers' wages, benefits and conditions of service as mining companies transition from owner mining to contract mining.
21 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The government has directed the Minerals Commission to ensure that workers in Ghana's mining industry do not suffer reductions in wages, benefits or conditions of service as mining companies transition from owner mining to contract mining. The Ministry said contract mining workers should enjoy salaries, wages, allowances, benefits and other incentives equivalent to those of owner mining workers performing comparable work before the transition.
21 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana Gold Board CEO Sammy Gyamfi says institutional, licensing and value-addition reforms have created 4,866 direct jobs—361 in the public sector and 4,505 in the private sector—in less than two years, opening opportunities in artisanal smelting, jewellery production and other gold value-chain activities. Ghana aims to end raw mineral exports by 2030 through domestic refining expansion and greater retention of mineral wealth.
21 October 2026 · The Chronicle →
The Ghana Gold Board will introduce an Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Formalisation and Financing Support Programme in 2027, implemented with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the University of Mines and Technology, to improve productivity, increase gold recovery, reduce operating costs, and support miners in operating legally and sustainably.
20 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources reaffirmed Ghana's readiness to partner with Chinese firm Guangdong Shengmai Tech Co. Ltd., emphasising the country's interest in investors committed to long-term benefits, responsible mining practices, and environmental protection in mining communities.
15 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists and Ghana's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources have agreed to develop a formal partnership to strengthen specialised reporting on mining, forestry and land reform. The partnership will include training programmes, technical briefings, a memorandum of understanding, an annual conference on mining governance, and ministry-led workshops for journalists.
15 October 2026 · Daily Guide →
The Environmental Protection Authority has warned public institutions including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Ghana Gold Board that government backing does not exempt reclamation projects from environmental permitting requirements, and that unpermitted projects must stop immediately and report for regulatory assessment.
14 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Asantehene will visit the Jimi Land Reclamation and River Watercourse Rehabilitation Project near Obuasi to plant trees and inspect Lot 1, a flagship environmental initiative restoring lands degraded by unregulated small-scale mining and addressing contamination of the Jimi River and Dam.
12 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana has begun a comprehensive review of its 1999 National Land Policy to align land governance with emerging economic, social, environmental and technological demands. The review is being undertaken by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in collaboration with the Lands Commission and the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, targeting a new framework by 2027.
7 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has rejected reports that Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah resigned from the Ghana Gold Board, stating he has not resigned and there is no disagreement with the institution. The Ministry explained that Buah nominated the Chief Director to represent him on the Board from January 2026 due to his demanding schedule across two Ministries.
29 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has rejected reports that Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah resigned from the Ghana Gold Board, stating he has not resigned and there is no disagreement between him and the institution. The Minister nominated the Ministry's Chief Director to represent him on the Board from January 2026 due to his demanding schedule and responsibilities across two Ministries.
29 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat has launched Operation Water Shield, a sustained national enforcement campaign to protect major river systems including the Ankobra, Tano, Bia, Pra and Offin rivers, as well as affected sections of the Black and White Volta, from illegal mining.
17 September 2026 · Daily Guide →
Farmers in Adjei-Kow and adjoining communities near Adeiso in the Upper West Akim District claim armed men with heavy machinery have invaded their farms, destroying crops and preventing access without prior consultation or notification of land acquisition. The farmers have appealed to the government, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and Ghana Police Service to intervene immediately.
16 September 2026 · The Chronicle →
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources says Ghana's mineral resources must generate tangible benefits for communities where mining takes place and contribute to the country's broader development goals. The government is introducing mining reforms to improve efficiency, effectiveness and governance, including proposed changes to prospecting and licensing practices.
15 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has launched Operation WATER SHIELD, a sustained national enforcement campaign to protect Ghana's major rivers, watersheds and water resources from illegal mining. The operation will target the Birim, Ankobra, Tano, Bia, Pra and Offin Rivers, as well as affected sections of the Black and White Volta systems, working from source areas through downstream communities.
11 September 2026 · Joy Online →