Social licence must be reimagined as a development compact with the youth – Sammy Gyamfi

Ghana Gold Board CEO Sammy Gyamfi has urged a radical rethinking of social licence within Ghana’s mining regions. He emphasized the need for the country’s youth to be integral to the profits derived from their natural resources. Gyamfi highlighted the widening gap between the mineral wealth extracted from mining communities and the limited economic prospects accessible to young people.

This disparity poses a significant threat to the sustained acceptance of mining activities. "The most compelling reason to reconsider social licence is the issue of youth," he stated. He pointed out the frequent observation by young individuals living in mining communities of resource extraction yet the scarcity of opportunities for employment, skill acquisition, and meaningful involvement in the wealth generated by mining operations.

"In our mining communities, wealth frequently departs from the land, yet many young people lack pathways to secure work, essential skills, ownership, and a hopeful future," Gyamfi lamented. This scenario represents a perilous discrepancy that could erode trust between mining enterprises and their host communities. "That disparity is unjust, unsustainable, and fraught with risk," he warned.

Gyamfi posited that the credibility of social licence would be compromised if young people perceived the mining sector as a mere provider of low-skilled, temporary roles. "Social licence is untenable when young people perceive mining as a mere source of transient employment and passive spectating," he remarked. He also criticized the notion of characterizing some young people in mining communities as mere troublemakers or security concerns, suggesting this perspective could exacerbate the rift between the industry and the resource-extracting communities.

Instead, he advocated for avenues offering respectable employment, technical and vocational skills, ownership, and a promising economic future. Such opportunities could enable young people to engage in the broader mining value chain, rather than being relegated to the periphery of an industry operating in their backyard. Gyamfi advocated for a fundamental transformation in how the mining industry perceives social licence.

"Social licence must, therefore, be reimagined as a development compact with the youth," he proposed. He also questioned the common practice of perceiving young people in mining communities mainly through the lens of security. Treating dissatisfied youth as troublesome agitators or security threats without addressing the underlying economic grievances could further strain the relationship between mining companies and the communities where they operate.