The Exclusive

The 2025 edition of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Media Awards has officially been launched in Accra, with a call for entries from Ghanaian journalists who have reported on biotechnology and its impact on agriculture. Speaking at the launch held at CSIR-STEPRI, Mr. Enoch Ilori, Project Officer of OFAB Ghana, emphasized the importance of accurate and impactful science communication. He said the awards aim to recognize journalists who have worked to educate the public on biotechnology and its benefits, particularly in improving crop resilience and enhancing agricultural productivity. "We are officially opening the call for entries for the eighth OFAB Media Awards," Mr. Ilori announced. "Journalists are encouraged to submit stories published between June 2024 and August 15, 2025, that highlight the role of biotechnology in transforming agriculture." Entries will be judged based on originality, accuracy, clarity, and the ability to foster public un...

In a bold and fiery press briefing on Monday, April 21, 2025, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, announced a significant breakthrough in the government’s war against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. The minister revealed that Akonta Mining Company Ltd., a firm previously granted a lease to mine off-reserve, has been operating illegally within protected forest reserves in the Western North Region. Minister Buah disclosed that investigations uncovered Akonta Mining’s deep involvement in a criminal network that has been pillaging the Aboi and Tano Nimiri Forest Reserves, selling illegal mining access for as much as GHC 300,000 per concession. The company is accused of running a syndicate that not only sponsors galamsey activities but does so with the support of some corrupt forestry and security officers, who reportedly receive a share of the illegal proceeds. An intelligence-led operation carried out on Good Friday, April 17, led to a 12-h...

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has issued a stern directive to all Regional Directors to put an immediate stop to the charging of fees for the use of washroom facilities in public hospitals across the country. The directive, signed by the Acting Director-General of the GHS, Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, follows reports that some health facilities were charging patients and visitors for using hospital washrooms. The practice, according to the GHS, is unacceptable and undermines the core purpose of hospital sanitation infrastructure, which is to offer comfort and prevent infection. In the notice, Professor Akoriyea emphasized that washrooms are a vital part of healthcare delivery and should not be turned into revenue-generating ventures. He further stressed the need to keep these facilities clean and accessible at all times to enhance the quality of care and patient satisfaction. "Failure by facility heads to adhere to this directive will attract sanctions," the GHS warned...

As part of preparations for the relaunch of National Sanitation Day in May this year, Jospong NextGen, the youth wing of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), has begun a nationwide sanitation awareness campaign. Jospong NextGen’s campaign is a youth-led initiative focused on promoting environmental cleanliness and sanitation across the country. The campaign, launched in Obomeng, Eastern Region, on Easter Friday (April 18, 2025), aims to raise awareness about the upcoming relaunch while educating the public on the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment. The team engaged with drivers, shop owners, and residents in Obomeng, Atibie, and Mpraeso, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. Many community members accepted stickers and pledged to support the clean-living message. The relaunch of National Sanitation Day will establish the first Saturday of every month as a dedicated day for nationwide clean-up activities. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of t...

In a bold move to protect the country's natural resources, the Forestry Commission has teamed up with the Ghana Police Service to raid six illegal mining sites in Samreboi in the Western North Region of Ghana. The operation, which took place on Thursday, 17th April 2025, resulted in the arrest of 26 individuals, including 16 Chinese nationals, 2 Koreans, and 18 Ghanaians. One of the biggest operations in the country’s fight against illegal mining, the raid began at 5 a.m. and lasted for a whopping 12 hours, yielding significant results. The joint task force of Ghana Police and the Forestry Commission officers seized eight excavators, two Toyota Hilux pickups, a Toyota RAV4, and four motorbikes. Five excavators were abandoned at the sites due to ‘mobility challenges’ The raid has earned the government widespread praise on social and mainstream media platforms. It follows recent stern warnings by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Armah-Kofi Buah, against all ille...

  The Government of Ghana has announced its decision to take over operations at the Damang Mine, operated by Abosso Gold Fields Limited (AGL), following the expiration and rejection of the company’s application to renew its 30-year mining lease, which ends on April 18, 2025. In a strongly-worded statement issued on April 16, 2025, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, explained that the government’s decision is rooted in legal provisions under Section 23 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and grounded in national interest. The Damang Mine, a subsidiary of Gold Fields Limited, halted active mining operations in 2023 and switched to processing stockpiles in 2024. With the company estimating only a year of life left in the mine, its renewal application was scrutinized and ultimately rejected due to several critical deficiencies. According to the Minister, AGL failed to declare any verifiable mineral reserves to justify the lease exten...

  In a major boost for Ghana’s smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has signed a fund management agreement with ARB Apex Bank to operationalize a US$1 million Revolving Fund under the Food and Nutrition Security Resilience Project. Funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), the initiative aims to improve food and nutrition security across 12 selected districts in the five northern regions and the Oti Region. The Revolving Fund will provide low-interest loans to farmers and agribusinesses involved in the production of staple crops such as maize, rice, cowpea, soybean, and groundnut, as well as in vegetable and poultry farming. Speaking at the signing ceremony in Accra, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, lauded GAFSP for the US$20 million grant backing the wider project and expressed appreciation to the African Development Bank for its technical support. “This Revolving Fund, with a 10% int...

  The Political Science Students Association (POSSA) Inter-Tertiary Connect Initiative has honoured Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu,  thr President of Africa Growth Solution. A citation in recognition reads "Your tremendous contribution in making the first edition of POSSA lnter-Teritary Connect Initiative a grand success is immensely acknowledged and appreciated." It said "your commitment to academic excellence and your dedication to shaping the future of Political Science Students across Ghana various Universities in Ghana have significantly enhanced the success of this historic event." The Association extend its sincerest appreciation, and were honoured to have shared this experience with him Mr Opong-Fosu, who is also a former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development said during their era as students and youth activists, "we were driven by ideological conviction such as nationalism and patriotism." He said presently, students and youth leaders were moti...

At the Ghana @ 68 Culture, Heritage, Environmental, and Economic Growth Forum (CHEEGF) held on April 15, 2025, in Accra, the National Chairman of Arise for Change for Economic Growth (ACEG), Alhaji D.S. Mahama Iddrisu, delivered a compelling keynote address urging a national reset of Ghana’s economic direction through sustainable and integrated strategies. Speaking at Wesley Tower Ministries, Alhaji Iddrisu, a renowned economist, environmentalist, and human security expert, welcomed a distinguished gathering of policymakers, diplomats, traditional leaders, media, and civil society actors. He emphasized the urgent need to connect Ghana’s cultural heritage and environmental assets to its economic agenda, stating that the nation’s vast natural resources have not been harnessed effectively for national benefit. “Culture and heritage are not just about the past—they are tools for the present and the future. By integrating our tangible and intangible heritage with environmental sustainabi...