Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has called for a new approach to the concept of social licence in Ghana’s mining communities, with greater emphasis on giving young people a direct stake in the economic benefits of mining.
According to him, the continued extraction of mineral resources from communities without creating sufficient opportunities for the youth risks weakening public confidence in mining operations.
Speaking at the National Mining Dialogue 2026 in Accra, Mr Gyamfi said the concerns and aspirations of young people must become central to discussions about the future of mining in Ghana.
“For me, the strongest reason to rethink social licence is the youth question,” he said.
He noted that young people in mining communities often watch valuable minerals being taken from their lands while struggling to access decent jobs, relevant skills and opportunities to participate in the wider mining economy.
“In our mining communities, young people see wealth leave their land every day. Yet too many do not see any path to decent work, skills, ownership, and a meaningful future,” he said.
Mr Gyamfi described the situation as a major contradiction that could eventually undermine relations between mining companies and host communities.
“That contradiction is dangerous, it is not fair, and it is not sustainable,” he stressed.
He argued that mining companies would find it difficult to maintain community support if young people continued to feel excluded from meaningful opportunities within the industry.
“Social licence cannot survive where you believe mining has no place for them except as casual labourers and bystanders,” he said.
The GoldBod CEO said the mining sector must create pathways for young people to move beyond temporary and low-skilled jobs into areas that offer long-term economic prospects.
He called for greater investment in technical and vocational training, decent employment, local ownership and opportunities for young people to participate in businesses connected to the mining value chain.
Such measures, he said, would allow young people in host communities to become active participants in the industry rather than simply observers of mineral extraction taking place around them.
Mr Gyamfi also cautioned against treating frustrated young people in mining areas mainly as security threats or troublemakers.
He said such an approach could overlook the economic grievances driving dissatisfaction and further strain relations between communities and mining companies.
Instead, he advocated addressing the underlying concerns of young people by creating tangible opportunities for them to benefit from the resources extracted from their communities.
“The social licence must therefore be reimagined as a development compact with the youth,” he said.
The GoldBod CEO said a youth-centred approach to social licence would help build stronger and more sustainable relationships between mining companies and host communities.
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