Ghana’s plans to begin onshore oil drilling next year could be undermined by illegal mining activities, a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Kwame Jantuah, has warned.
Jantuah, who also serves on the board of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), said unchecked galamsey — or illegal small-scale mining — is spreading into areas identified for oil exploration and could contaminate potential drilling zones.
“We’ve identified oil seepages in the north and south, and drilling is expected to begin in the third quarter of next year. But if those blocs are galamsey-laden, it will affect the country’s oil revenue,” Jantuah said on Asaase Radio’s The Forum on Saturday (11 October).
He said Ghana risks losing billions in potential oil income if illegal mining is not curtailed immediately, warning that polluted soils and water bodies could interfere with exploration and development work.
Jantuah argued that successive governments have failed to address the root causes of galamsey, including unemployment and poor regulation of small-scale mining.
He called for a temporary ban on small-scale mining to restructure the sector into a more commercially viable and environmentally sustainable operation.
“If we don’t structure it properly, galamsey will threaten all our natural resources — from gold to oil,” he cautioned.
The government, he added, must act decisively to protect oil-rich lands and enforce strict environmental standards before onshore exploration expands in 2026.
Ghana, one of Africa’s top gold producers, discovered several onshore oil seepages in recent years, with the GNPC announcing plans to begin drilling in parts of the Northern and Western regions.
But widespread illegal mining continues to destroy farmlands, forests, and river systems, sparking growing concern among experts and civil society groups.
Source: asaaseradio.com
