Former Environment, Science and Technology Minister Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has questioned Ghana’s decision to deepen technical cooperation with China as part of efforts to tackle illegal mining and strengthen the country’s mining sector.
His comments follow an agreement between Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and China’s Ministry of Natural Resources to collaborate on tackling illegal mining, geological surveys and responsible investment in Ghana’s mining industry.
The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting between the two ministries on the sidelines of the 2026 China Mining Conference in Tianjin, China.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who led the Ghanaian delegation alongside Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, described the engagement as a significant step towards improving the regulation of Ghana’s mining sector and attracting responsible investment.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, however, has raised concerns about the decision to rely on Chinese expertise in areas he believes Ghana should have developed sufficient capacity to handle independently.
Speaking to Bernard Avle on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, September 16, he specifically questioned plans for Chinese experts to support Ghana’s Geological Survey Authority.
“Recently I read that the minister went to China, and they are bringing Chinese to help the Geological Survey Authority,” he said.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng argued that, decades after independence, Ghana should have developed the technical capacity required to manage its geological affairs without relying heavily on foreign advisers.
He described the development as “very disturbing” and said he found it disappointing that Ghana continued to seek external assistance for areas requiring domestic expertise.
The former minister also used the discussion to raise broader concerns about the government’s handling of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
According to him, the measures being implemented have not demonstrated the level of enforcement he associates with a serious campaign against illegal mining.
“I know what a fight is; I don’t see any fight. They love galamsey,” he said.
He further claimed that some members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) were unhappy with developments surrounding illegal mining but were unwilling to publicly criticise the situation.
“I know a lot of people in the NDC who don’t like what is happening, but they cannot say,” he said.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng also questioned Ghana’s continued dependence on foreign expertise and assistance for industrial development.
