Former President and flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has unveiled plans to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) in combating illegal mining activities in Ghana if elected president in the upcoming December 7 general elections.
Mr. Mahama made this pledge during the 3rd Annual Transformational Dialogue on Small-scale Mining at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani.
He outlined his vision of utilizing AI to pinpoint and track small-scale mining and galamsey operations, as well as monitor the movement of excavators and geofence concessions. These measures are aimed at coordinating and overseeing activities in the small-scale mining sector to mitigate environmental damage.
Furthermore, Mr. Mahama proposed the establishment of a special fund dedicated to providing a pool of mining equipment for sustainable exploitation in mining communities.
He stressed the importance of collaboration with the private sector to create a revolving fund that would offer capital and easy access to relevant mining equipment in districts where gold mining is prevalent.
Mr. Mahama’s strategy hinges on the implementation of the Ghana Mining Excellence Centre (GMEC), which he recently introduced. The GMEC, to be overseen by UENR and the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), aims to spearhead research and innovation projects in collaboration with global scientists. These initiatives are geared towards fostering green growth within Ghana’s mining and minerals industry.
Mr. Mahama’s announcement underscores his commitment to addressing the challenges posed by illegal mining and promoting sustainable practices in the mining sector, a critical issue in Ghana’s socio-economic landscape.
He said: “A special revolving fund will be established with the private sector to provide capital and a mining equipment pool in each district where gold mining is prevalent. This will facilitate easy and affordable access to relevant mining equipment.”
“To support all these brilliant initiatives and ensure that we are implementing them as best as possible, I have announced the launch of a Ghana Mining Excellence Centre (GMEC), to be run initially for five years and which will be coordinated by UENR and UMaT.
“As I have envisioned it, the Centre will collaborate with scientists from other universities worldwide to implement joint research and innovation projects that will simulate green growth within the Ghanaian mining and minerals industry.”
Source: GraphicOnline
