By: Valentia Tetteh
The Communication Director of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), John Afful, has assured the Ghanaian public that the new initiative will not be “just another government project,” but a transformative and transparent programme that will deliver jobs, restore degraded lands, and improve livelihoods in mining communities.
Speaking after the launch of the programme, Mr. Afful noted that rCOMSDEP draws lessons from the Community Mining Scheme (CMS) and the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), but goes further by ensuring stronger coordination, efficient resource use, and community ownership.
“This programme is designed with people at its heart. Our youth, women, and small-scale miners will have access to training, legal concessions, and shared processing facilities that meet global environmental standards. We are assuring the public that rCOMSDEP will be run transparently, with visible benefits in jobs, infrastructure and environmental restoration,” he stated.
Mr. Afful explained that one of the cornerstones of rCOMSDEP is skills development and job creation. Beneficiaries will receive vocational and technical training not only in safe mining practices, but also in entrepreneurship, agriculture, digital skills and other alternative livelihoods.
“We want to change the narrative from survival through illegal mining to sustainable prosperity through responsible mining and diverse livelihoods. Young people in mining communities will no longer be limited to one option; they will have multiple career paths,” he added.
He also stressed that revenues from cooperative mining enterprises will be channeled back into community development projects, including potable water systems, health facilities, schools and renewable energy initiatives.
The rCOMSDEP initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, aims to phase out harmful mercury use, restore degraded mining sites through reforestation, and build sustainable farming cooperatives in mining zones to strengthen food security.
Mr. Afful called on traditional authorities, youth groups, civil society and the private sector to actively support the programme, describing it as “a collective journey towards sustainable mining and inclusive growth.”
