Ghana Newsfile: Mining

Ghana is rich in gold. It is for the abundance of this valuable resource in the soils and rivers of this West African nation that the British called it the Gold Coast. In recent times questions have been raised about whether such rich natural endowments constitute a blessing or a curse. In a number of instances the exploitation of the natural resource leads to conflict situations or raise serious environmental issues. Gold mining is no more the preserve of the big multinational firms - small-scale mining is on the ascendancy. The recent crackdown on foreign illegal miners has added renewed vigour to the overall debate on mining. But have we considered the effect of the mining industry as a whole on Ghana and its people? Findings from a recent study suggest that we should.

Read more of Ghana's first newsfile, published by IGC Country Economist, Fahmina Rahman.