Farmers whose land was acquired for Newmont's Ahafo North gold mine in Ghana are demanding compensation they claim is years overdue. The Concerned Farmers Association, representing farmers in several communities in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region, made the demand at a news conference. They rejected Newmont's bid to have 21 members' structures declared "speculative". The farmers say their land was taken without payment, leaving them without a means of feeding their families, paying school fees, or covering medical bills.
One of the farmers, 97-year-old Maame Serwaa, told the Ghana News Agency that about 155 acres of her farms, including oil palm and teak plantations, were taken from her without payment. She appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to step in and help resolve the issue. Another farmer, Asibi, a poultry farmer, also said she was still waiting to be paid for her farm. The Ahafo North mine was inaugurated by Vice-President Opoku-Agyemang in October 2025.
Two Executive Instruments, E.I. 356 of September 29, 2023, and E.I. 273 of July 15, 2024, were used to acquire land for the project. Farmers covered by E.I. 356 say they have not received any payment since the state moved onto their land in December 2023 and destroyed their property. The association chairman, John Mensah, said about 84 farmers are still owed land compensation.
Under E.I. 273, the Lands Commission's Valuation Technical Committee approved the compensation sums on April 13, 2026, and the farmers' legal team agreed to them on April 24. However, the money has not been released. The Lands Commission told the farmers that Newmont had petitioned it not to pay for 21 members' structures, calling them speculative, based on a cut-off date of 2017 set under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006.
The farmers argue that the cut-off date no longer applies, as the state abandoned negotiations under the mining law and compulsorily acquired the land under the Land Act, 2020. They claim that the disputed structures were counted in a 2024 joint inspection supervised by a Ministerial Committee, and that Newmont is the beneficiary of the acquisition, not the state.
The Concerned Farmers Association is asking the Lands Commission to throw out Newmont's petition, pay the approved E.I. 273 compensation immediately, speed up payments under E.I. 356, and issue a written timetable for full settlement. The association says some members have died and others have fallen seriously ill while waiting for compensation.
Newmont declined to comment on the farmers' claims, while the Lands Commission made no public response. The company made GH¢12.822 billion in fiscal payments to the state in 2025. The association's demands highlight the challenges faced by communities affected by mining activities in Ghana, and the need for timely and fair compensation for those impacted.
Key points
- Newmont's Ahafo North mine was inaugurated in October 2025, and the company made GH¢12.822 billion in fiscal payments to the state in 2025.
- The Concerned Farmers Association represents farmers in several communities in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region.
- About 84 farmers are still owed land compensation, according to the association chairman, John Mensah.
