Gov’t allocates GH¢100 million to NAIMOS, orders destruction of illegal mining equipment

President John Dramani Mahama has announced a major boost in funding and logistics for the fight against illegal mining, revealing that government has allocated GH¢100 million to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to intensify its activities this year.

Speaking during a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations, the President said the initial allocation is expected to support ongoing operations, with the possibility of additional funding later in the year.

“This year, we are giving NAIMOS GH¢100 million to continue their activity, and I have assured them that they should start with that,” he said. “If during the year we think that they need more money at the mid-year review of the budget, we will allocate some more money to NAIMOS.”

President Mahama, however, acknowledged critical logistical gaps hampering the effectiveness of the anti-galamsey fight, particularly on water bodies.

“There are some things they don’t have. They lack equipment, especially for policing the water bodies. Sometimes you see them in canoes with outboard motors, and sometimes they even have local people paddling them to fight the menace on the rivers,” he noted.

To address the challenge, the President disclosed that government has approved the procurement of specialised patrol boats to enhance surveillance and enforcement along rivers heavily affected by illegal mining.

“The Minister of Finance, who is also acting as Minister of Defence, has approved a budget for them to bring in new patrol boats that are designed for patrolling rivers,” he said.

Highlighting the scale of the challenge, President Mahama referenced the vast stretches of rivers affected by galamsey, stressing the need for more efficient equipment.

“Take a river like the Pra, which is about 120 kilometres long—you can imagine what distance those fishermen’s canoes can cover in terms of patrolling,” he explained. “So they are bringing purpose-built boats that can travel far in riverine areas.”

He added that the boats will be deployed to both the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces to support NAIMOS operations on water bodies.

According to the President, the security agencies have been given firm instructions to take decisive action against illegal mining equipment wherever they are found.

“The directive is that any chamfan machine they find, whether on the river or on land, they should destroy it,” he stressed.

President Mahama further revealed that enforcement efforts are already underway, with daily operations targeting illegal mining activities across the country.

“I get the videos every day, and I can share them with you—every day they are burning and destroying chamfan machines,” he said.

The renewed investment and operational strategy form part of