Ghana’s Minerals Development Fund (MDF) has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting sustainable development in mining communities nationwide as it outlines priorities for 2026.
In a New Year message, MDF Administrator Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw-Kotei said the fund, established under Act 912, remains focused on ensuring that the country’s mineral resources translate into lasting social, economic and environmental benefits.
She said the fund will pursue stronger partnerships in 2026 to improve livelihoods, protect the environment and enhance infrastructure in mining-affected areas.
Illegal mining continues to threaten lives and ecosystems, prompting MDF interventions aimed at restoring livelihoods and reducing the harmful impact of the practice.
The fund said child protection and education will remain a priority, citing its intervention at Atatam D/A Basic School, where illegal mining had disrupted teaching and exposed pupils to serious safety risks.
MDF halted mining activities around the school, reclaimed dangerous pits and supplied educational materials, with similar support planned for other schools this year.
On land restoration, the fund said small-scale miners have begun voluntary reclamation of mined-out areas, following fatal pit collapse incidents, including 15 deaths in the Ashanti Region.
It will intensify surveillance, pursue offenders who abandon open pits and expand its mercury-free, environmentally sustainable mining initiative beyond pilot areas in 2026.