Ghanaian Member of Parliament Davis Ansah Opoku has issued a bold call for urgent international action to end child trafficking in Africa’s mining sector.
Speaking at the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) Global Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., the Mpraeso MP outlined Ghana’s pioneering strategy to combat galamsey – illegal small-scale gold mining – which has become synonymous with child exploitation across West Africa.
Central to his presentation was the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), a regulatory authority designed to centralise licensing, regulate trade, and introduce full traceability of gold entering international markets.
Drawing parallels with Ghana’s cocoa reforms, Mr Opoku told lawmakers: “If you cannot trace the source, you cannot guarantee dignity in the supply chain.”
He outlined a five-pillar framework centred on criminalising the purchase of trafficked labour, strengthening child welfare protections, regulating public procurement, securing safe labour migration, and enforcing accountability through technology and finance.
Mr Opoku underscored the urgency of the crisis with data from the International Labour Organisation, which shows that 72 million children across Africa are trapped in child labour, with more than 31 million engaged in hazardous work.
Thousands of Ghanaian children between the ages of 10 and 17 are estimated to work in galamsey sites, facing mercury exposure, perilous conditions, and exploitation by trafficking networks. “The Ghanaian child in a galamsey pit is no different from the Congolese child in a cobalt mine,” he said, stressing the continental scale of the challenge.
Addressing a distinguished audience of US legislators, international parliamentarians and survivor advocates, the Ghanaian MP argued that regulation alone would not be enough. He called for substantial investment in vulnerable communities through education, vocational training, cash transfers, and local protection committees led by traditional leaders and youth organisations. Concluding with a direct challenge to global leaders and businesses, Mr Opoku declared: “The time for half measures has ended. The time for bold African action is now.”