Minister-designate for Environment, Science, and Technology, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, where she outlined her strategic roadmap to tackle illegal mining concerns, enforce upcoming plastic restrictions, and curb the systemic brain drain affecting Ghana’s scientific and research institutions.
Addressing the parliamentary panel during her vetting, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings emphasised that environmental degradation specifically driven by illegal small-scale mining, locally known as galamsey, cannot be resolved in isolation. She described the crisis as an urgent, all-of-government priority requiring unified action across multiple state sectors.
“The fight against illegal mining and the subsequent damage it does to the environment and human life are an all-of-government and all-of-society imperative. I do believe that the easiest way to address it is to have effective coordination between the Ministries, Departments and Agencies,” she stated.
To eliminate overlapping efforts and structural delays, she promised to initiate immediate engagements with peer ministries, including Lands and Natural Resources, Sanitation and Water Resources, and Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development. Her goal is to dismantle operational silos that have historically hampered environmental protection efforts across vulnerable mining communities.
“Should I get the approval from this Committee and the House, I would want to sit with the relevant ministers of the various ministries that have an interest in the fight, which would range from the Lands as well as the Local Government, to ensure that we are all on the same page, to avoid the silo effect,” she added.
Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings Illegal Mining Strategy and Styrofoam Ban
In addition to confronting illegal mining challenges, the Minister-designate addressed the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) upcoming ban on styrofoam and single-use expanded polystyrene packaging. She maintained that official implementation timelines must remain firm to prevent further ecological decay.
Reflecting on evolving Ghanaian consumer culture, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings recalled a time when reusable food containers were standard practice across urban and rural markets alike.
“Not to belittle the issue, but I remember as children, when you wanted to go for Auntie Naa’s rice, you took your own pot to go and buy the rice, and I am not sure at which point putting plastic within plastic became the norm, and I think it comes down to a change in behaviour,” she remarked.
She argued that while cultural behavioural shifts take time, state policy must enforce discipline through structured incentives and legal penalties to safeguard the environment.
“Obviously, behaviour change is something that can take time, but it can be incentivised, or you can put penalties in place. It comes down to how we enforce the ban and the seriousness with which we seek to address this. I stand by the fact that the ban timeline has to be maintained,” she said.
Mitigating Scientific Brain Drain in Ghana
Beyond environmental enforcement, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings warned that Ghana’s scientific research infrastructure faces severe vulnerabilities due to the ongoing exodus of high-skilled talent seeking better working conditions abroad.
She emphasised that stopping scientific brain drain requires a holistic overhaul of how state scientific institutions, research directorates, and public laboratories operate. To restore confidence in the national scientific ecosystem, she presented a three-pillar intervention framework:
- Improving Conditions of Service: Upgrading compensation structures, health benefits, and research allowances for local scientists and laboratory technicians.
- Adequately Resourcing Scientific Infrastructure: Supplying modern laboratory equipment, reliable digital infrastructure, and direct financial backing to research directorates under the Ministry.
- Establishing Predictable Career Trajectories: Creating structured, transparent professional growth pathways so researchers have clarity regarding their promotion cycles and tenure.
“The rate that we see is not just within the agencies of the ministry. I think we’re having a serious brain drain,” she noted, concluding that adequate funding, clear career progression, and competitive conditions of service remain the three non-negotiable foundations for national scientific retention.
