The 10th Annual Conference of the Ghana Sociological and Anthropological Association (GSAA) has been held at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) with a call on African leaders to strengthen governance systems and ensure that the continent’s abundant natural resources translate into improved livelihoods for its people.
The conference brought together academics, researchers, policymakers, civil society actors and other stakeholders to examine the social, economic, environmental and security implications of resource extraction and social exclusion across Africa. The discussions highlighted concerns about inequality, environmental degradation, community displacement and the need for greater accountability in the management of the continent’s natural resources.
A former Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies at UCC, Prof. Stephen Kendie, who delivered the keynote address, said Africa’s development should not be measured only by the volume of resources extracted but also by who controls them, who benefits from them and how the social and environmental costs are distributed.
Speaking on the theme, “Our Future at Risk: Social Exclusion, Resource Extraction and Security in Contemporary Africa,” Prof. Kendie called for stronger institutions, accountable leadership and greater investment in local processing and industrialisation.
He noted that Africa’s continued dependence on the export of raw materials limited the continent’s ability to retain the full economic benefits of its natural resources. He also cautioned governments against excessive borrowing for consumption and urged greater attention to productive investments capable of generating long-term economic returns.
The Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, Prof. Daniel Agyapong, who chaired the conference, also drew attention to the broader implications of resource extraction and social exclusion, as discussions at the conference focused on the need to place communities at the centre of development processes.
The conference provided a platform for examining how resource extraction affects livelihoods, social cohesion and environmental sustainability, particularly in communities where mining activities have resulted in the loss of farmlands and other sources of livelihood.
The Head of Department of Sociology and Anthropology at UCC, Prof. Georgina Yaa Oduro, raised particular concern about the apparent contradiction between Ghana’s natural resource wealth and the persistent social and environmental challenges confronting many communities.
“Africa is one of the most resource-endowed continents in the world, and Ghana, once known as the Gold Coast, sits on vast gold deposits. Yet the critical question remains: to what extent have ordinary people benefited from this wealth?” she asked.
Prof. Oduro expressed concern about the degradation of major water bodies through illegal and irresponsible mining, citing the condition of the Pra River as an example.
“When I travel from Cape Coast to Takoradi and see the River Pra turned brown and polluted, I ask myself: where is the gold? If the gold truly represented prosperity, we would not be destroying our rivers and our future in the way we are doing,” she stated.
She further recounted how pollution of the Ayensu River had affected communities in her native area, leaving residents without access to safe drinking water for several months.
According to Prof. Oduro, environmental degradation should not be viewed merely as an ecological problem but as a broader security concern with implications for livelihoods, food security, employment and national development.
“A polluted river is a security issue. Loss of agricultural land is a security issue. Youth unemployment is a security issue,” she emphasised.
She therefore called on sociologists, anthropologists, social workers and other social scientists to contribute more actively to addressing exclusion, inequality and vulnerability, particularly among young people who may be drawn into hazardous and illegal mining activities because of limited economic opportunities.
The Associate Executive Director of the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM), Mrs. Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, called for stronger protections for mining communities, meaningful community engagement and greater accountability in Ghana’s extractive sector.
Mrs. Owusu-Koranteng who was a special guest for the conference, said mining-induced displacement had affected livelihoods, social cohesion and cultural identity, particularly among women and vulnerable groups, and advocated fair compensation and meaningful community participation in decisions concerning resource extraction.
