Ebenezer Manu Agyarko, a mining consultant for the West Africa Cooperatives Network, praised Ghana's cooperative mining initiative as beneficial for small-scale mining while emphasizing the need for rapid implementation.
Agyarko commended the government's approach to promoting cooperative mining, viewing it as progress for Ghana's small-scale sector. He acknowledged that many young Ghanaians aspire to enter gold mining and suggested that “the government appears to have recognized this reality” by channeling their interests through structured regulations.
However, he stressed urgency regarding execution: “The sites must be developed, machines must be provided, workers must be employed, and after that, they must also be trained in proper mining practices and safety measures.”
The consultant explained that cooperative mining involves pooled resources among multiple miners operating as a registered entity. He noted that individual miners typically lack sufficient capital and technical expertise, making collaboration more practical.
Agyarko maintained that successful implementation could generate employment, increase gold production, and establish greater order within Ghana's small-scale mining sector.
