Gov’t launches centralized secretariat to tackle galamsey crisis
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has officially commissioned a centralized unit to lead the fight against illegal mining.
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), unveiled on Thursday, June 26, 2025, will lead, coordinate, and monitor all anti-galamsey efforts across the country.
According to Mr. Buah, the secretariat is the “only mandated outfit with exclusive jurisdiction to oversee all anti-illegal mining operations” in all 16 regions.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Buah said the creation of NAIMOS was necessary to harmonize fragmented operations across different sectors. “It is important for a centralized unit to harmonize anti-galamsey operations,” he noted, citing recent successes attributed to the new body.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister reaffirmed the government’s resolve to confront the galamsey menace head-on and pledged his personal support. “About 16% of our land reserves have been adversely impacted, and therefore there’s a need to take urgent steps to restore our vegetative cover,” he stressed.
“I therefore pledge my commitment to supporting the activities and operations of NAIMOS in our quest to make galamsey a thing of the past, in line with the aspirations of the Ghanaian people,” he added.
Also present was the Minister of the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, who praised the initiative and pledged his ministry’s collaboration. He assured the Secretariat of the Interior Ministry’s “readiness to render the necessary support to make NAIMOS a success.” The creation of NAIMOS marks a significant institutional shift in Ghana’s approach to illegal mining, placing the coordination of field operations under one authority.
