SONA 2025: Akufo-Addo reveals how fight against Galamsey impacted policy agenda

In his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Friday (3 January), President Nana Akufo-Addo opened up about the challenges he faced in his second term, attributing much of the difficulty to his strong stance against illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as Galamsey.

Akufo-Addo acknowledged that taking on Galamsey was a deeply divisive decision, but he remained resolute in his belief that protecting Ghana’s land and water bodies was paramount. 

This unwavering commitment, he said, came at a significant political cost, contributing to the loss of several parliamentary seats by his New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2020 elections. 

These electoral setbacks, according to Akufo-Addo, ultimately influenced the balance of power in the 8th Parliament, hindering the progress of his policy agenda during his second term.

“I knew and was very much aware that fighting Galamsey was not a universally popular position for a president to take but I felt strongly enough about the need to protect our environment, to say I was prepared to put my presidency on the line in the defence of our lands and water bodies,” Akufo-Addo remarked.

The President expressed pride in the growing public support for the anti-Galamsey movement, noting the surge in individuals and groups rallying to the cause ahead of the 2024 elections. 

Akufo-Addo welcomed this shift in sentiment, hoping that the momentum would carry into the future, helping to safeguard the nation’s precious natural resources.

“I welcome the many loud converts to the fight against Galamsey that suddenly appear in the run-up to the 2024 elections and I pray that more and more of us get to embrace the need for the protection of our lands and water bodies.”

Emphasising that the fight was never against mining or the country’s gold resources, Akufo-Addo reiterated that the goal was sustainable extraction—one that ensures the protection of Ghana’s environment for future generations. 

“We owe it to future generations of Ghanaians to extract our minerals in a manner that protects our lands and water bodies,” he concluded.

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