By Issah Mohammed/ Jibril Abdul Mumuni, GNA
Accra, Aug 20, GNA – Mr Yusif Sulemana, the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has called for greater involvement of mining communities in the selection of corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.
He said mining companies must move away from independently determining CSR projects without aligning such interventions with the actual needs and priorities of host communities.
The Deputy Minister made the call at the National Mining Dialogue 2026 in Accra, held on the theme: “Mining Local Content and the Catchment Compact: Rethinking the Social Licence to Operate.”
“We should not sit down and allow companies to decide what they do in the form of CSR. But there should be a strategy to ensure that it becomes an obligation on the part of these companies in order that they respond to the needs of the people,” he said.
He said mining operations took place within communities with diverse stakeholders and, therefore, decisions on community development interventions should not be taken without their participation.
Mr Sulemana cited instances where mining companies had provided facilities as CSR interventions without adequately considering whether such projects addressed the needs of the beneficiary communities.
The stakeholders needed to involve communities in identifying projects to ensure that CSR investments produced the desired development outcomes, he noted.
He said the Catchment Compact being discussed at the dialogue provided an opportunity for the companies, communities, traditional authorities and other stakeholders to establish a common understanding of community development priorities.
The Deputy Minister urged mining companies, both large- and small-scale, to respect traditional authorities as part of efforts to secure and maintain the social licence required to operate.
He said statutory mining permits alone could not guarantee peaceful operations, stressing that the companies needed to establish constructive relationships with chiefs and other traditional leaders in their areas of operation.
“Social licence to operate is not something governments can issue with a stamp,” he said.
Mr Sulemana noted that although the law vested mineral resources in the President in trust for the people, traditional authorities remained critical stakeholders in accessing and operating on lands within their traditional areas.
“You cannot have the pass to that land if you don’t respect our chiefs,” he said.
The Deputy Minister said respect for traditional authorities should, therefore, form part of the broader relationship between mining companies and host communities.
He said mining companies that engaged communities and traditional leaders in a meaningful manner would be better positioned to understand local concerns and address potential sources of conflict.
CSR projects must be enduring legacy projects that created value for the host communities after the company’s exit, Mr Sulemana noted.
Nana Dr. Adarkwa Bediako III, the Gyasehene of the Apinto Divisional Council, said communities in the Western Region, notably Prestea, had long been impacted by mining activities but there was little development to show.
With a major stake in determining how CSR projects are selected, he said the mining communities would be better positioned to direct the development trajectory of their communities.
The National Mining Dialogue brought together government officials, traditional authorities, regulators, mining companies, small-scale miners, gold buyers, development partners and other stakeholders to deliberate on local content, CSR and the social licence to operate.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
20 Aug. 2026
Reporter: Issah Mohammed /Jibril Abdul Mumuni