Minerals Commission Exposes Akonta Mining Limited 

The Minerals Commission has publicly dismissed claims made by Akonta Mining Limited regarding its legal right to operate in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, following revelations that the company was conducting mining activities in the area without the necessary legal permits.

The issue came to the fore after a press conference held by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources on April 21, 2025, during which the Minister stated unequivocally that Akonta Mining was engaged in illegal mining within the forest reserve. This prompted a swift response from the Commission to clarify the legal status of the company’s operations.

A statement issued by the Minerals Commission on Tuesday 22 April,  said Akonta Mining  was granted a reconnaissance licence in June 2011 for an area of 135.87 square kilometres in Samreboi, located outside the forest reserve.

This licence expired in June 2012, after which the company was granted a prospecting licence over the same area in December 2012, valid until December 2014.

In line with the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), which limits the size of mining leases to 63 square kilometres, Akonta applied for three separate mining leases.

These were approved on July 23, 2021, but notably, all three leases cover areas outside the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve. Importantly, these leases have not been ratified and the company lacks both environmental and operational permits required to legally commence mining.

The controversy deepened when the Commission revealed that Akonta had previously applied for a prospecting licence within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve—an application the company later withdrew. However, on August 25, 2022, Akonta submitted a fresh application for a mining lease covering a portion of the reserve.

That lease was never signed by the Minister, nor has the company received a forest entry permit or any of the legal authorizations required for mining.

Despite the absence of these critical approvals, a joint investigation and security raid uncovered evidence of Akonta’s operations within the forest. Coordinates from the site confirmed that the activities were taking place on land under application for a mining lease—but without any legal backing.

“For the avoidance of doubt,” the Commission’s statement emphasized, “Akonta has no mineral rights or permits that allow them to conduct any mining activity within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.” It went on to list the requirements for lawful mining: a ratified mining lease, an environmental permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an operating permit from the Chief Inspector of Mines, and—where applicable—a forest entry permit.

None of these, the Commission stressed, had been secured by Akonta for either the forest reserve or its three leases outside it. As a result, all activities being carried out by the company in both areas are deemed illegal.

The situation has sparked public debate about regulatory enforcement in Ghana’s mining sector and raised fresh questions about how some companies continue to operate in sensitive ecological zones despite lacking legal authority.