Also known as: NAMOS
National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat — government enforcement agency conducting operations against illegal mining in Ghana's major rivers and forest reserves.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Daily Guide
Some NAIMOS security personnel during one of the operations The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has launched a sustained national enforcement campaign to protect major rivers from the destructive effects of illegal mining in the country. …
NAIMOS Launches ‘Operation Water Shield’The Chronicle
… For a journalist who had witnessed the same river barely a year earlier in the company of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, and personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the transformation was difficult to …
Ankobra: From Galamsey Workshop To A River Of HopeJoy Online
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) says it is taking urgent steps to address reports of illegal mining and encroachment within the Atewa Range Forest Reserve. …
NAIMOS steps up response to alleged illegal mining in Atewa Forest ReserveJoy Online
… The Minister also pointed to regulatory reforms and the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) as part of efforts to tackle illegal mining. …
Ghana will not back down on mining value addition – Ambassador Kojo BonsuJoy Online
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has launched Operation WATER SHIELD, a sustained national enforcement campaign aimed at protecting Ghana’s major rivers, watersheds and other critical water resources from the effects of illegal mining. …
NAIMOS launches Operation Water Shield against illegal mining in GhanaJoy Online
… He cited the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the advancement of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen responsible and formalised small- …
Ghana pushes China for deeper mining partnerships, value additionJoy Online
… d Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) has intensified efforts to promote cleaner and more sustainable mining operations by taking the lead in the collection and management of scrap metals within areas covered by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat …
GIISDEC takes charge of scrap metal recovery in NAIMOS operational areasJoy Online
… The leaders are urging the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, along with allied agencies including the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the Blue Water Guard, and local security committees, to intensify efforts to curb the ongoing pollution of ma …
Ahafo Clergy call for stronger action against galamsey and Tano river pollutionThe Chronicle
… The Minister made the declaration yesterday after joining personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and Special Forces on a 16-kilometre inspection tour of the Ankobra River, under the second phase of Operation Water Shield, a renewed effort to …
We Are Winning The Galamsey War … Armah-Kofi Buah DeclaresJoy Online
… The operation, which involves the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the Special Boat Squadron and Blue Water Guards, has focused on dismantling illegal changfa mining operations and securing the river against armed groups protecting illegal miners. …
Lands Minister inspects Ankobra, cites progress in galamsey fightThe 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 →
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 →
The Ankobra River's banks, once bustling with illegal mining operations and makeshift structures, are now largely deserted, marking a visible transformation in the fight against galamsey a year after intervention efforts by the Ministry and NAIMOS.
16 September 2026 · The Chronicle →
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat says it is taking urgent steps to address reports of illegal mining and encroachment within the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, having already conducted reconnaissance operations and collaborating with security and state agencies for further action.
15 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, said the government will not back down on pursuing local beneficiation of mineral resources, including refining bauxite to alumina and developing processing capacity, rather than exporting raw materials. He said Ghana has made a deliberate choice to move away from exporting raw ore and instead develop the capacity to process minerals locally, while working with investors aligned with this policy direction.
11 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 →
Ghana's Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has called for deeper mining partnerships with China that prioritize processing, technology transfer, skills development and local supply chains, rather than the extraction and export of raw minerals. The government seeks to ensure greater value is retained in Ghana while creating industries, jobs and building local expertise.
10 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) has intensified efforts to collect and manage scrap metals within areas covered by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, supporting cleaner mining operations and Ghana's iron and steel industry. An estimated 100 metric tons of scrap metal have been collected from sites in the western, western-north, ahafo, eastern, and ashanti regions.
8 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Clergy members in the Ahafo Region have called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and allied agencies to intensify efforts against illegal mining and the pollution of the Tano River. An Apostle of the New Apostolic Church warned that continuing to pollute major water bodies exposes the nation to severe health risks and urged youth involved in illegal mining and financiers behind such operations to cease their activities.
7 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has declared that Ghana is winning the fight against galamsey, citing the Ankobra River's transformation as evidence. Operation Water Shield's second phase has removed nearly 3,000 mining machines from the Ankobra, Pra, Birim and other rivers, and resulted in more than 237 arrests, including 144 foreign nationals.
4 September 2026 · The Chronicle →
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources says the government has removed more than 3,000 illegal mining machines from major river bodies and arrested 237 suspects under Operation Water Shield. The Minister inspected the Ankobra River and attributed progress to a shift from sporadic raids to permanent security deployments.
4 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister says Ghana is making significant progress against illegal mining following sustained operations along the Ankobra River, with thousands of Changfan machines and operators cleared. However, he acknowledged continued pollution concerns and stressed that consistent enforcement is needed to sustain the gains.
4 September 2026 · Joy Online →
An editorial in The Chronicle argues that despite the government's ban on excavator imports, equipment tracking systems, and years of task forces and military operations, illegal mining continues unabated across Ghana, with mining pits continuing to claim lives including a recent tragedy at Asaman Tamfoe in the Eastern Region.
2 September 2026 · The Chronicle →
President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah as Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to lead Ghana's battle against galamsey, or illegal mining, which has expanded into sophisticated networks over the last eight years and degraded water bodies and farmlands. Buah is regarded for his personal integrity and reputation for honesty, qualities seen as essential for resisting financial inducements in the fight against powerful mining interests.
2 September 2026 · The Chronicle →
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources warns that declaring a state of emergency is not an automatic fix for illegal mining, as restrictions and security operations are already being implemented in affected areas and a declaration could have wider consequences for communities.
1 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, working with the Ghana Army and Police, arrested ten suspected illegal miners (three Chinese nationals and seven Ghanaians) during an operation at Kpali in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, Savannah Region from 25 to 27 August 2026. The team seized two excavators, three excavator monitors, a Toyota Hilux, a fuel bowser, three firearms, 25 live cartridges, and other equipment, and dismantled 15 makeshift structures at the site.
1 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Security agencies arrested ten suspected illegal miners (three foreign nationals and seven Ghanaians) during a joint operation in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District in August. The operation seized two excavators, a Toyota Hilux, firearms, ammunition and other equipment, and dismantled makeshift structures at the site.
30 August 2026 · Joy Online →
NAIMOS, Ghana Armed Forces Northern Command, and Ghana Police Service raided illegal mining camps at Kpali in Savannah Region's Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, arresting 10 suspects (three Chinese nationals and seven Ghanaians) and seizing excavators and firearms. The operation targeted mining activities threatening the Black Volta River through land degradation, sediment-laden runoff, and potential discharge of pollutants.
28 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has intensified operations against illegal mining in the River Ankobra, Western Region, destroying 86 chanfang machines, 11 water pumps, and two makeshift structures, and arresting three suspected illegal miners.
25 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) destroyed 86 Chanfang machines, 11 water pumps and two makeshift structures and arrested three persons during an enforcement operation at Ablebo in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region on August 22, 2026.
24 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Akwasi Konadu, MP for Manhyia North, has urged the government to review the Blue Water Guards programme following arrests of nine members on allegations of bribery and impersonation at Manso Adubia in Ashanti Region. He warned that compromised enforcement operations could weaken Ghana's anti-galamsey architecture and questioned the expansion of the programme, stating that the government should prioritize measurable environmental outcomes over personnel numbers.
24 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Manhyia North MP Akwasi Konadu has criticized the government's Blue Water Guards programme as a failed initiative in the fight against illegal mining, citing the arrest of nine guards at Manso Adubia over bribery and impersonation allegations as evidence of systemic institutional failure. He called for an independent audit of the programme's recruitment, supervision, and accountability structures.
24 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Nine members of the Blue Water Guards were arrested at Manso Adubia in the Ashanti Region on Friday, August 21, 2026, over allegations that they collected money from individuals while posing as officials of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS). The arrests have prompted authorities to warn BWG personnel against conduct that could undermine public confidence in anti-illegal mining efforts.
23 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Traditional authorities in Tano North Municipality have expressed frustration over the routine release of arrested illegal miners by police, saying law enforcement failure is undermining local efforts to curb galamsey and environmental degradation. Chiefs report that communities captured illegal miners polluting the Tano River and handed them to police, but the detainees were discharged.
22 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Vice President of IMANI Africa Kofi Bentil has criticised the current government's approach to tackling illegal small-scale mining, arguing it is not doing enough compared to the previous Akufo-Addo administration, which tried but ultimately failed. He called for a more comprehensive response, questioning whether economic interests are influencing the government's enforcement efforts.
22 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Senyo Hosi, Convener of the OneGhana Movement and Trustee of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, says Ghana has failed to achieve meaningful results in combating illegal small-scale mining, with water quality showing the country is retrogressing. He notes that the estimated number of people involved in galamsey rose from about 14,000 to 14,500 in August 2024 to about 98,000 in August 2025.
22 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Traditional authorities in the Tano North Municipality have appealed to President Mahama to intervene against illegal mining that has devastated forests and polluted the River Tano, saying state institutions including NAIMOS and the Blue Water Guards have failed to halt the destruction.
16 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Mpohor-Fiase District Assembly arrested 26 suspected illegal miners during a coordinated security operation targeting about 10 suspected illegal mining sites, and seized 14 pumping machines, eight motorbikes and two gallons of fuel. The District Chief Executive said the district-level taskforce would be strengthened to complement the work of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat.
13 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat has begun a major operation in Kyebi, Eastern Region, to clear illegal mining activities along the Birim River and restore water production by Ghana Water Company Limited, whose operations have been severely affected by river pollution and degradation.
11 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Bono Regional Minister Joseph Addae Akwaboa has reaffirmed authorities' commitment to fighting illegal mining in the region, stating that all known galamsey sites have been communicated to security agencies for coordinated action, despite criticism over the handling of illegal mining in Atronie.
6 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has alleged that illegal miners are exploiting Ghana's government cooperative mining scheme as cover for destructive mining in communities across the Eastern, Western and Ashanti regions, including Berekum, Dawma and along the Bekwai–Esiwa road.
6 August 2026 · Joy Online →