The Board Chairman of the Forestry Commission, Professor Martin Oteng-Ababio, has attributed the surge in illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey, to soaring global gold prices and worsening rural poverty.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Friday, October 10, 2025, Professor Oteng-Ababio said the increasing profitability of gold mining has made the activity more attractive to many, despite its devastating environmental and human toll.
“So even if you get a small ounce, it is a bit expensive. It is not surprising that people go into the pits; they cave in, their compatriots are killed, they bury them, and a few days later, they are back again.”
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He explained that the combination of limited livelihood opportunities and chronic poverty in rural communities has pushed many people into illegal mining as a desperate means of survival.
“The lack of alternative sources of livelihood in the villages and the chronic poverty that exists in our rural areas all contribute to that,” he said.
Beyond individual economic hardship, Prof. Oteng-Ababio highlighted the growing involvement of well-resourced financiers and organised groups in illegal mining.
“Often, we see different actors joining. There are those who are using mining as a business — investing heavily, providing resources, and introducing new technologies to undertake illegal mining. That is driving the increase in the rate at which the activity is spreading,” he added.
Professor Oteng-Ababio reiterated the Forestry Commission’s concern about the continued degradation of forests and water bodies, warning that the nation risks irreversible environmental damage if urgent steps are not taken to curb illegal mining.
Source: CNR
