GhanaWeb’s investigation uncovered a flood of gold-buying shops at Wassa Akropong
For years, conversations surrounding Ghana’s illegal mining (galamsey) crisis have largely focused on the destruction of land and, more recently, the devastating impact of heavy, equipment like excavators, on the country’s major water bodies.
But GhanaWeb’s latest investigation has uncovered something even more unsettling at Wassa Akropong, one of the Western Region’s most notorious galamsey hubs.
Beyond the visible scars on the land and polluted rivers, a thriving, under-reported gold market is quietly driving the persistence of illegal mining activities.
GhanaWeb in the special report discovered that over 100 gold-buying shops operating in Wassa Akropong are silently fuelling this growing menace, providing a ready market that emboldens thousands of young men and women to repeatedly return to the earth in search of gold.
The full story, which sheds light on this hidden economy, will air on GhanaWeb TV at 3:00PM on Friday June 27, 2025.
The documentary also exposes the significant, often overlooked roles that women, both young and old, play in sustaining this complex web of environmental exploitation.
Ahead of the premiere, GhanaWeb has released a gripping teaser offering a glimpse into this explosive exposé.
Watch the full premiere of this GhanaWeb investigation below:
