By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA
Sepaase (Ash), Nov. 11, GNA – The Nature and Development Foundation (NDF) has equipped women groups from mining communities in the Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality of the Ashanti Region with knowledge on mining-related decision-making processes, community rights and responsibilities, and effective engagement with mining and regulatory institutions.
The workshop was organised under two projects: “Advancing Good Forest and Mineral Governance to Reduce the Contribution of Timber Trade and Mining to Deforestation in Ghana, Liberia and Cameroon” and “Building Resilient and Active Communities in Extractive Landscapes in Ghana (BRACE)”, both being implemented by the NDF.
Madam Margaret Appiah, Senior Project Manager of the NDF, said the training was being conducted in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to equip participants with skills in environmental impact assessment and the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in mineral governance.
“We are doing this with the EPA, and the essence is to educate these women for them to know their rights and roles they can play in legal mining with respect to Free, Prior and Informed Consent,” she said.
Madam Appiah noted that it was important for community members to verify the authenticity of mining licences before any company or individual began operations in their communities.
She said the NDF had been engaging illegal mining-prone communities to educate residents on their rights and responsibilities, explaining that the organisation had received complaints from farmers whose lands had allegedly been taken over without due process.
According to her, many of the affected farmers often lacked evidence to support their claims, despite the possibility that their concerns were valid.
She said the Foundation had therefore educated community members on evidence gathering, preservation of evidence and personal safety measures.
Madam Appiah added that through sustained engagements, the Foundation had supported communities in Bibiani Old Town in negotiating resettlement arrangements and assisted residents of Awaso to advocate for the establishment of a community relations centre to receive and address complaints.
Mr Felix Amoah, an EPA official at the Atwima Nwabiagya Municipal Office, said collaborations between regulatory bodies and non-governmental organisations had helped reduce conflicts and strengthen community participation in mining governance.
He said the training programmes had enhanced the capacity of residents to become active and resilient stakeholders in addressing mining-related issues.
Mr Amoah explained that the EPA helped communities understand regulatory processes so that residents could identify unauthorised operators and respond appropriately when their communities were invaded by illegal miners.
Mr Emmanuel Arthur, Head of the Minerals Commission at Bibiani, who took participants through Ghana’s mineral governance and licensing regimes, urged the women to enquire about the specific licences held by mining operators and verify whether their activities were consistent with the scope of their authorisations.
He encouraged community members to remain vigilant and actively participate in ensuring compliance with mining regulations.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Bertha Badu-Agyei/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
11 November 2026
Reporter: Florence Afriyie Mensah
Email: [email protected]