Ghana: 13 Mining Blocks Secured for Small-Scale Miners - Minerals Commission

What the report says

Ghana’s Minerals Commission says it has secured 13 mining block areas across the country as alternative legal sites for small-scale miners who are currently working in restricted locations, especially near water bodies. The announcement was reported by Ghanaian Times and distributed by AllAfrica on 31 August 2026.

According to the report, the move is part of a wider effort to curb illegal mining by pairing enforcement with access to properly assessed and regularised mineral-bearing land. The Commission’s approach appears aimed at reducing pressure on prohibited zones while giving miners a lawful option to continue working. In the cited comments, a Commission representative said the identified areas would be available to miners, though the published text is truncated and does not provide full context for the quote.

The report also says the Commission has acquired three drones fitted for electromagnetic exploration to carry out initial surveys of the selected sites. That suggests the agency is using field technology to help assess the blocks before they are made available. More broadly, in Ghana, small-scale mining has long been a sensitive issue because of its links to environmental damage and disputes over illegal operations, making the availability of legal alternatives potentially significant for both regulation and livelihoods.