Akonta Mining lacks environmental and operating permits – Minerals Commission

Victoria Awuni, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission

The Minerals Commission has firmly stated that Akonta Mining Limited lacks the necessary environmental and operational permits to undertake any legal mining activity, both within and outside the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.

This follows the company’s claim that it holds a valid mining lease outside the forest reserve, an assertion the Commission has refuted.

In a statement issued on April 22, 2025 and sighted by GhanaWeb Business, the Commission clarified that Akonta Mining had previously applied for various permits and licenses over the years, but none of these have been fully ratified or granted the authority to operate.

Notably, the company’s reconnaissance license over a 135.87 sq km area in Samreboi expired in 2012. Subsequent applications for prospecting and mining leases have either lapsed or lacked the required ministerial endorsement.

The Commission emphasised, “Currently, the Company has no mining lease to mine in the forest, nor does it have a forest entry permit to enter and undertake any mining operations or activities whatsoever.”

The Commission added that records show that Akonta Mining applied for a mining lease over part of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in August 2022, but the application was not signed or approved.

According to the Commission, the Akonta Mining’s actions in the area, without proper authorisation, therefore amount to illegal mining.

Additionally, a recent raid conducted by security officials confirmed the presence of Akonta Mining agents working in the forest reserve.

The Commission therefore reiterated that the company lacks all the requisite permits, including those from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Chief Inspector of Mines.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Victoria Awuni, signed off the statement, concluding, “Any activity or operation conducted in these areas (both inside and outside the forest reserve) constitutes illegal mining.”

This latest development comes after the government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, on April 20, 2025, revoked the operating license of Akonta Mining Limited over illegalities within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.