The National Coordinator of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), Ms. Ama Mawusi Mawuenyefia, is leading a far-reaching effort to reshape Ghana’s small-scale mining sector by replacing disorder, environmental destruction and exclusion with structured operations, community participation and sustainable economic opportunity.
Under her leadership, rCOMSDEP is advancing a model that places skills development, environmental protection, local accountability and job creation at the centre of mining reform, while giving traditional authorities and host communities a stronger voice in how mineral resources are developed.
The programme, operating under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, is designed to move small-scale mining away from informality and illegality towards a more transparent, regulated and economically productive system.
Ms. Mawuenyefia explained that the initiative differs significantly from earlier community mining arrangements because local leaders and residents are now directly involved in defining community priorities and setting expectations for investors.
She said agreements between mining companies and host communities are formally documented, witnessed and approved before leases are granted, creating a clearer framework for accountability and shared benefit.
Environmental protection remains a central focus of the programme, with emphasis on responsible land use, reclamation, protection of forests and water bodies, and strict compliance with Ghana’s mining laws.
The initiative also prioritises training, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for young people in mining communities, helping reduce dependence on illegal mining while creating alternative livelihoods.
According to Ms. Mawuenyefia, rCOMSDEP is also working closely with traditional authorities, regulatory institutions, security agencies and private investors to strengthen public trust and build a more stable operating environment for responsible mining.
She maintained that Ghana’s mineral wealth must create jobs, improve local economies and support national development without destroying the environment or denying communities their fair share of the benefits.
The programme’s growing reach is being seen as an important step towards building a mining sector that is lawful, community-centred and capable of delivering long-term prosperity.
