Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (Ahafo Mine), has been adjudged the most outstanding community interaction mining company in West Africa.
The award was presented to the mine at the maiden Electra Mining West Africa conference held in Accra, on Wednesday, March 5.
A statement issued by Mrs Rita Kissi, Communications and Human Resources Manager of the Company, said the Electra Mining West Africa conference is a platform that brings together players in the mining industry across the sub region and beyond, to deliberate on issues bordering on community development, environmental stewardship, labour, finance and other relevant areas in mining.
It said participants in this year’s edition were drawn mainly from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria and South Africa.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Towards Pan-African Mining Governance’, a former CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr Joyce Aryee, commended Newmont Ghana for the Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) initiative.
Dr Aryee cited NADeF as a best practice in community sustainability and ownership in the industry.
She charged African governments and other players in the Mining Industry to work towards a Pan-African governance module that will streamline activities of mining companies on the continent.
Dr Juliet Tuakli of United Way Ghana and Dr Eamonn Barrett from Environmental Resources Management (ERM) UK, who also spoke on separate themes at the workshop, cited Newmont Ghana’s Community Engagement and Social Responsibility initiatives as examples worth emulating.
The statement said Newmont Ghana established its flagship Social Responsibility initiative; the Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) in 2008 as a mechanism to manage the company’s sustainable community development commitment to its 10 host communities in Ahafo with strong community participation and ownership.
It said the Ahafo mine contributes $ 1 per each ounce of gold sold and 1 percent of its net profit to the foundation.
It noted that as at the fourth quarter of 2013, the fund had accrued over $ 17.5 Million; out of which about 63 infrastructural projects have been completed for use by the communities.
It said, additionally, educational scholarships have been awarded to over 4,000 students at the senior high school and tertiary levels.
The award for the Most Outstanding Community Interactionmining company was received on behalf of Newmont Ghana by the Community Development Manager of the Ahafo Mine, Joseph Danso, who presented the Newmont case of shared value creation using the NADeF model to the delegates at the summit.
Five other awards were presented by the Electra Mining West Africa Organizers to various companies for their contributions to the industry in the sub-region.