Ghana is using artificial intelligence and drone technology to shift mining regulation from a reactive model to a proactive and preventive system, a senior official said.
Emmanuel Kwamena Ayeme, deputy chief executive officer of the Minerals Commission, said traditional inspection methods are increasingly inadequate in tackling illegal mining, environmental degradation and the challenges of monitoring vast and remote areas.
Speaking at a conference on drone use in Africa on Feb. 10, Ayeme said the commission has adopted drone surveillance and AI-powered analytics to strengthen regulatory oversight and enforcement.
Drones now enable regulators to conduct real-time monitoring of mining sites, detect illegal operations, assess environmental impact and verify compliance with approved mining plans, he said. The technology also improves efficiency, lowers operational costs, enhances inspector safety and generates high-quality data to support enforcement actions.
“When combined with artificial intelligence, these technologies become even more powerful,” Ayeme said. “AI allows regulators to analyse large volumes of aerial and geospatial data, automatically identify signs of non-compliance and predict environmental risks before they escalate.”
He said the commission has deployed drone surveillance in environmentally sensitive areas, including parts of the Ashanti and Western regions, to monitor illegal mining activities.
According to Ayeme, the aerial data has helped identify unlicensed operations, track land degradation and support coordinated enforcement actions with agencies such as the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat and the Allied Police Unit.
The use of AI and drones has improved accuracy, reduced response times and strengthened evidence-based decision-making, he said.
Ayeme stressed that technological innovation must be supported by clear policy frameworks. He called for a robust legal structure governing drone use in regulatory oversight, alignment between mining, aviation and data protection laws, and greater institutional capacity to manage digital data.
Such measures, he said, would encourage collaboration with technology providers and local innovators while protecting privacy and national interests.
“At the Minerals Commission, our objective is to ensure that innovation strengthens regulation while protecting communities, the environment and national interest,” Ayeme said.
He added that smart regulatory technologies are essential to promoting responsible mining, improving transparency and building public trust in mining governance across Africa.
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