Pan-Africanist, legal practitioner, and governance expert, Prof Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, has attributed the continued spread of illegal small-scale mining, known as galamsey, to shortcomings in governance, warning that delays in addressing the problem are worsening its environmental and human impact.
He made the remarks on Friday, December 5, while speaking at a virtual environmental conference organised by the Institute of Governance Ethics and Religion (IGER-AFRICA). Prof Lumumba said the devastation caused by galamsey to water bodies, farmlands, and livelihoods requires an urgent, emergency-level response.
The conference was held under the theme “Navigating the Challenges of Illegal Mining in Ghana: Impact on Individuals, Communities, Health and Policy.”
According to Prof Lumumba, the pursuit of quick financial gains has pushed many people away from productive work into illegal mining, creating long-term damage to society. He warned that unchecked mining activities are destroying fertile land and contaminating the food chain, ultimately leaving communities and nations worse off.
He stressed that further delays will only deepen the crisis, urging leaders to take decisive action without hesitation.
Prof Lumumba also challenged governments to move beyond promises and policy statements, insisting that leadership must be judged by concrete results rather than intentions. He said administrations that campaigned on ending illegal mining should be held accountable for delivering tangible outcomes.
Describing galamsey as a national emergency, he added that effective implementation of laws, not their mere existence, is the true test of governance.
Broadening the discussion, Prof Lumumba criticised the dominance of foreign companies in Africa’s mining sector, arguing that it has stripped many countries of real control over their natural resources. He noted that most major mining firms operating in Ghana and other African countries are foreign-owned, limiting local influence over mining decisions.
He cited countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Nigeria as facing similar challenges.
Prof Lumumba questioned why illegal mining continues to flourish despite the presence of regulatory frameworks and policy commitments, pointing to Ghana as an example where environmental destruction persists even with existing mining laws.
“This leads us to ask what the real problem is,” he said.
IGER-AFRICA, the organisers of the conference, advocate ethical leadership, good governance, and interfaith dialogue as tools for promoting peace, social justice, and sustainable development across the continent.
