THE Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), in partnership with the Forestry Commission (FC), has launched a reforestation programme at the Subri River National Forest Reserve at Sekyere Krobo in the Western Region, targeting the planting of 30,000 trees over five years.
The initiative forms part of MIIF’s Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) programme and seeks to restore 50 acres of degraded forest to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable environmental management.
The Head of Compliance and Enforcement and project lead, Mr Solomon Dawson, said the initiative demonstrated a shared commitment to restoring Ghana’s natural environment, protecting its ecological heritage and promoting responsible management of the country’s mineral wealth.
He said responsible mineral wealth management should go beyond financial returns and ESG disclosures to include the long-term well-being of communities.
He said that conviction informed MIIF’s ESG programme, particularly its commitment to biodiversity conservation and responsible natural resource management within the mining sector.
“While mining contributes significantly to national development, its environmental and social implications demand deliberate, sustained, and responsible interventions,” the project lead said.
He explained that MIIF had partnered with the FC this year to identify practical ways to support environmental restoration and sustainable natural resource management across the 50-acre project site at the Subri Forest Reserve.
Mr Dawson, however, stressed that the success of the reforestation initiative would depend on sustained maintenance, monitoring, protection and community participation.
The Executive Director of the FC, Dr Sarfo Adu, said the foiled invasion of portions of the Subri River Forest Reserve by armed illegal mining operatives on October 17, 2026, was a stark reminder of the challenges facing the Commission in carrying out its constitutional mandate to protect and preserve the nation’s forests.
He said the FC was committed to supporting the rehabilitation and restoration of degraded portions of the reserve.
The Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, Mrs Justina Nelson, said the initiative reflected the Fund’s commitment to responsible mineral wealth management and environmental stewardship.
She said harnessing mineral resources created significant economic opportunities, but the benefits had to be matched by a responsibility to protect the forests, water systems and ecosystems that sustained communities.
“We believe that responsible resource management must consider not only the value we generate today, but also the environmental legacy tomorrow,” she said.
Mrs Nelson commended corporate institutions, the assembly, traditional authorities and the people of Sekyere Krobo for their cooperation in protecting the reforested areas. She urged them to take ownership of the Subri biodiversity project to ensure its long-term success.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, reaffirmed the Ministry’s support for the project, saying the survival of the planted trees would be a measure of the collective commitment to protecting the country’s natural heritage.
The Chief of Sekyere Krobo, Nana Kwaw Badu II, also expressed concern about the activities of chainsaw operators and illegal miners, saying they undermined efforts to restore the forest.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, SEKYERE KROBO
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