Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited (CNML) has signed a landmark Social Responsibility Agreement (SRA) with its mine communities in the Talensi District.
The signing of the agreement establishes a strong framework and paves the way for structured, sustainable, and trust-based collaboration, community development, and enhanced stakeholder participation in CNML’s mining activities in the area.
The agreement, signed between the mining company and representatives of the Talensi Traditional Area, local authorities, and community stakeholders, and witnessed by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), established a framework to channel resources from the Namdini Gold Mine into sustainable development initiatives in the district.
The agreement comprised three key components: a relationship agreement to guide engagement between the company and local communities, a local employment agreement aimed at maximising employment opportunities for residents, and the establishment of the Cardinal-Talensi Development Foundation to finance development projects in the area.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Bolgatanga, Mr Jinquan Wang, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CNML, described the agreement as a renewal of the company’s commitment to inclusive development, transparency, and accountability.
“With the signing of the Social Responsibility Agreement, we formally renew our commitment to listen, protect livelihoods, and work together in a spirit of trust, transparency, and shared progress,” he said.
Mr Wang noted that development must be rooted in community priorities and guided by mutual respect, adding that the company would honour all commitments contained in the agreement.
He explained that the Cardinal-Talensi Development Foundation would provide a dedicated and sustainable funding mechanism for development programmes in the district, with resources managed transparently through a Board of Trustees comprising representatives of the company, traditional leaders, local communities, and the Talensi District Assembly.
Additionally, the Foundation will be supported by a Social Responsibility Forum made up of representatives from communities across the district to identify and prioritise development projects annually.
The projects are expected to focus on critical sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, road infrastructure, and socio-economic development.
Mr Wang stressed that the agreement would not replace the company’s existing corporate social responsibility initiatives, indicating that CNML would continue implementing additional programmes, including alternative livelihood projects in agriculture.
Tongraan Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang, Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area, welcomed the agreement and urged all stakeholders to support its implementation, expressing optimism that the arrangement would transform the district and improve the livelihoods of residents through targeted development interventions.
Mr John Nabwoniya Millim, the Talensi District Chief Executive, described the agreement as historic, saying it was the first of its kind in northern Ghana.
He said the agreement marked the beginning of a new era of development for Talensi and commended the EPA and other stakeholders for facilitating the process.
Mr Daniel Dung Mahama, Member of Parliament for Talensi, called on all stakeholders to serve as ambassadors of the agreement and support its successful implementation.
He urged community members, traditional authorities, and the mining company to work together to ensure that the objectives of the agreement were achieved for the benefit of current and future generations.
Professor Michael Ayamga, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the EPA in charge of Operations, said the establishment of the Social Responsibility Agreement formed part of the environmental permit conditions granted to the company.
He noted that the agreement fulfilled a key regulatory requirement and would serve as a model for mining-community relations in northern Ghana.
The parties are expected to develop an implementation roadmap, establish the Social Responsibility Forum, and operationalise the Cardinal-Talensi Development Foundation in the coming months.
The CNML, wholly owned by Shandong Gold, a Chinese mining company, is currently undertaking open-cast (surface), environmentally friendly gold mining activities in Talensi, with an initial lifespan of 15 years.
Shandong Gold is among the top 10 gold producers globally, and the CNML mine in the Talensi District is Ghana’s largest single-stream gold mine and one of the largest in the West African sub-region.
The CNML mine is expected to process about 150 million tonnes of ore, resulting in the production of five million ounces of gold over its lifespan.