Former Gorogo Assembly Member urges Talensi youth to form cooperatives for responsible mining

By – Prosper Adaakai

A former Assembly Member for the Gorogo Electoral Area in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, John Yelmon Badengbanoya, has called on young people in the area to form mining cooperatives to enable them access financial and technical support to engage in responsible mining

Mr. Badengbanoya said Talensi is endowed with significant mineral resources and argued that, if properly managed, the sector could provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for young people while contributing to local economic development

He made the call during an interview on the URA Sunrise Morning Show on GBC URA Radio 89.7 FM in Bolgatanga, while discussing the recent communique issued by the Talensi Traditional Council on mining activities in the traditional area

His comments come after the Traditional Council announced a ban on mining activities without the Council’s prior written consent and the requisite licences from the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). The Council, however, stated that it supports responsible, legal and environmentally sustainable mining that creates jobs for the youth and contributes to development

Mr. Badengbanoya said the emphasis should therefore be on creating a structured pathway through which local youth can participate in the mining economy legally rather than resorting to unauthorised mining

He proposed that interested young people organise themselves into cooperatives capable of meeting the requirements for accessing financing, equipment, technical assistance and legally approved mining opportunities.

His proposal is consistent with the government’s Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), which promotes locally owned mining cooperatives, professional training, access to legal concessions and shared processing facilities. The programme is intended to reform artisanal and small-scale mining while improving environmental protection and resource utilisation

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has also indicated that the cooperative mining approach is intended to identify mineralised areas suitable for cooperative operations and create sustainable livelihoods while ensuring environmental protection and compliance with national regulations

The call is particularly relevant to the ongoing debate over unauthorised mining in Talensi. In its September 26, 2026 communique, the Traditional Council expressed concern about the effects of unauthorised mining on farmlands, water bodies, sacred sites and community lands. It also cited environmental degradation, water pollution, destruction of economic trees and threats to public health and safety among the concerns

The Council has consequently resolved to enforce customary consent for mining activities, protect sacred and other protected areas, collaborate with state institutions and establish a community monitoring committee

The government’s position also indicates that the concept of cooperative mining is not intended to legitimise unregulated extraction. During a March 2026 visit to the Upper East Region, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah said mining must be undertaken responsibly and that government was working to guide illegal operators into proper structures that protect land and water bodies

For Mr. Badengbanoya, a cooperative model could therefore provide a means of connecting Talensi’s mineral resources with youth employment while placing mining activities within the regulatory framework

Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Policy recognises the country as being endowed with substantial mineral resources, including gold, diamonds, manganese and bauxite, with gold accounting for more than 90 percent of mineral revenues over the two decades covered by the policy

The former Assembly Member’s proposal consequently places the current Talensi mining debate within a broader question of how communities can participate in mineral-resource development while protecting farmland, water resources and other environmental assets

The central issue, therefore, is not simply whether mining should take place in Talensi, but how local participation can be organised, financed, licensed and monitored so that mineral exploitation creates livelihoods without undermining the environmental and social foundations of the communities

Source – gbcuraonline.com