Armah Kofi Buah Leads John Dramani Mahama’s Land Reclamation Drive in Nkroful as 800 Acres Set for Restoration

The Government of Ghana, under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, has intensified its nationwide land reclamation program in a decisive effort to reverse the environmental damage caused by illegal mining (galamsey).

The aggressive initiative is focused on restoring degraded forest reserves, sealing hazardous abandoned mine pits, and rehabilitating polluted landscapes through large-scale reforestation.

Restoring 800 Acres in Nkroful:
The latest phase of this environmental campaign has launched in Nkroful, a town in the Western Region historic for being the birthplace of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

The Scope:
Approximately 800 acres of heavily mined-out land along the River Subri have been targeted for complete restoration.

The Partnership:
The government has officially handed the site over to RM Ecorestore Ghana Limited to spearhead the reclamation and reforestation efforts.

The Funding:
In a major financial victory for the state, the project is fully sponsored by corporate mining firm Zijin Golden Ridge Limited.

The Fiscal Savings:
Brokered by Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, this corporate partnership saves the state millions of cedis that would have otherwise been drawn directly from the Consolidated Fund.

Nana Kyeame Ampratwum, Lead Operational Director at Ecorestore Ghana Limited, commended the Mahama administration and praised the Lands Minister’s leadership and commitment to securing the project’s long-term sustainability.

Dual Strategy:
Ecology and Economy
The initiative relies on a dual-pronged approach that pairs ecological recovery with socioeconomic support for local communities.

1. Ecological Rehabilitation
The project will see the planting of thousands of cassia and teak seedlings across the degraded terrain. These specific species were selected for their ability to rapidly improve soil quality, restore ecological health, and return the land to productive use.

2. Local Economic Opportunities
Beyond environmental healing, the initiative serves as an immediate economic driver. It creates direct jobs in tree planting, plantation management, and long-term forestry development for residents living in mining-affected communities.

3. Scaled National Blueprint
Nkroful is not an isolated project. A similar initiative is already highly active in Nyankumase, located in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, where vast tracts of abandoned mining lands have successfully been replanted with cassia and teak.

Protecting Ghana’s “Green Gold”:
Speaking at the official launch of the Nkroful project, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah reiterated that safeguarding Ghana’s lands, forests, and water bodies remains a non-negotiable national priority.

“The Mahama administration is determined to reverse the damage caused by years of irresponsible mining activities, especially in our forest reserves and farming communities.”
— Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources

The Minister highlighted two central pillars driving the government’s environmental sustainability agenda:

The Tree for Life Programme:
Focusing on aggressive, nationwide reforestation.

The Blue Water Programme:
Dedicated to restoring polluted water bodies and promoting responsible, sustainable land-use practices.

Greener Vision:
Environmental stewardship has been positioned as a core pillar of President Mahama’s governance agenda. Because open, abandoned mining pits pose immediate safety and health risks to local communities, transforming these hazards into stable forest plantations and agricultural lands remains a primary goal.

Hon. Armah-Kofi Buah assured the public that the Nkroful and Nyankumase projects are only the beginning.

The government plans to aggressively scale these reclamation partnerships across the country to ensure that no land is left permanently destroyed by galamsey.