Cabinet has revoked Executive Instrument (E.I.) 144, as amended by E.I. 234, restoring Achimota Forest to its original status as a protected Forest Reserve.
The decision reverses the earlier declassification of part of the reserve and preserves the forest as an ecological safety zone for Accra and its surrounding communities.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, announced the decision at the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency, describing it as a major milestone for environmental protection.
Cabinet reverses forest declassification
“I am happy to announce a historic Cabinet decision taken on the 24th of June 2026 to revoke Executive Instrument E.I. 144 as amended by E.I. 234, effectively ensuring that the Achimota Forest retains its original status as a Forest Reserve and providing ecological safety zone for Accra and its environs,” Mr Buah said.
E.I. 144 had removed about 361.5 acres from the protected forest reserve, making the land available for other uses, including physical development.
The revocation restores the reserve’s full protection and blocks plans for alternative development on the affected land.
Forestry operations intensify
Presenting the ministry’s achievements for the first half of 2026, Mr Buah said enforcement operations in forest reserves had led to the arrest of 258 suspects.
He said officers also demobilised six excavators and seized 1,225 pumping machines, 765 changfan machines, 212 motorbikes and 40 gold detectors. The operations also led to the demolition of 430 illegal structures.
“Since December 2025, we have not had any red zones,” he said.
Tree for Life programme expands
The minister said the government’s Tree for Life Restoration Initiative planted about 31 million seedlings in 2025.
He said the programme restored about 23,600 hectares of degraded land, with seedling survival rates ranging from 50 to 78 per cent in the northern savannah zone and 65 to 85 per cent in the high forest zone.
Mr Buah said the ministry had maintained its target of planting 30 million seedlings this year, with the exercise running from June 5 until the end of the rainy season.
He added that the Forestry Commission had deployed 2,719 Youth Forest Champions to support nursery operations, tree planting, wildfire prevention and forest protection.
Ghana records timber trade milestone
Mr Buah announced that Ghana had become the first country in Africa and the second globally to qualify for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licences.
He said more than 600 licences had been issued to 22 destinations in the European Union since August 2025, while 411 licences were issued during the second quarter of 2026 alone.
The ministry is also preparing a Legislative Instrument to operationalise the Wildlife Resources Management Act, 2023 (Act 1115), to strengthen Community Resources Management Areas (CREMAs).
Land reclamation and ecotourism
The minister said government, working with the private sector, had reclaimed and restored 1,535 acres of degraded land in the Ashanti Region.
He added that another 1,500 acres are expected to be reclaimed before the end of the year, while work is underway to restore 960 acres in other degraded areas nationwide.
The Forestry Commission is also upgrading ecotourism facilities, including a 120-seat picnic area and a 10-unit chalet at the Shai Hills Resource Reserve, as well as a 20-room accommodation facility and restaurant at Mole National Park.
Government vows to sustain galamsey fight
Mr Buah described the fight against illegal mining as “a defining environmental battle of our generation.”
“Our rivers are not for sale. Our forests are not expendable. Our mineral wealth is a sacred national inheritance that we have a duty to protect,” he said.
He stressed that government would continue to pursue individuals and criminal networks involved in illegal mining.
“The era of impunity is over. Government will continue to pursue every individual, every financier, and every criminal syndicate that profits from the destruction of our environment. The law will be applied without fear or favour,” he said.
Mr Buah called on traditional leaders, religious groups, miners, security agencies, the media and the public to support the campaign against illegal mining to protect Ghana’s forests and water bodies.
