The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has signed a landmark agreement with the Forestry Commission and the Ghana Armed Forces to begin the reclamation and restoration of portions of the heavily degraded Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, committing approximately GH¢35 million to the project.
Speaking at a signing ceremony in Accra, on Tuesday June 16, 2026, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, described the initiative as the first major reclamation project to be undertaken by the newly established institution under its National Reclamation and Environmental Restoration Programme.
According to him, the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve was selected following visits by officials from the Gold Board, the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, which revealed extensive environmental destruction caused by illegal mining activities.
The project which will be fully funded by the Ghana GoldBod will be executed by the Ghana Army’s Engineering Regiment and the Forestry Commission.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana GoldBod Sammy Gyamfi, the first phase of the project will focus on restoring fifty (50) hectares of the more than a hundred devasted hectares of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, one of the country’s forest ecosystems that has suffered extensive degradation because of illegal mining activities.
Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, described the initiative as a crucial intervention that addresses both
the prevention of further environmental degradation and the restoration of land already destroyed.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Dr. Hugh C.A Brown commended GoldBod for the partnership and emphasized the need to restore degraded sections of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.He noted that the reclamation of the initial 50 hectares would mark an important step towards restoring ecological balance, protecting biodiversity and preserving critical forest ecosystems.
The national reclamation programme marks the beginning of what is expected to be a sustained and collaborative effort to restore degraded lands across the country, demonstrating that economic development and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand.
Source:www.kumasimail.com
