Lands Minister enjoins NAELP to add value to alternative livelihood programme

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has called on the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP) Cordinator to add more value to their alternative livelihood initiatives while also expanding the programme.

Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, made this call when he paid a maiden working visit to the Management and Staff of the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP) on Tuesday, 8th April, 2025 to familiarize himself with the activities of the project unit.

The Minister expressed his enthusiasm about NAELP’s vision but encouraged the team to broaden their core focus beyond providing alternative livelihood solutions by also advocating more strongly for responsible mining practices.

He further emphasized government’s commitment to resolving the challenges faced by NAELP, including inadequate funding and logistics, as he asserted that the NAELP is an important part of the Ministry.

He urged the project unit to highlight its success stories to funding partners to attract sustained support.

Given NAELP’s mandate of combating illegalities in the mining sector by offering alternative livelihoods to illegal miners, the Minister stressed the importance of transitioning these miners from illegal to responsible mining.

He encouraged the Management and Staff of the project unit to share their achievements with partners to boost confidence and secure sponsorship.

On his part, the National Coordinator of NAELP, Mr. Frank Asare, provided an overview of the programme’s operations, including the number of hectares of land reclaimed and the direct and indirect jobs created under the project.

Highlighting some key challenges such as lack of logistics, and insufficient funding, Mr. Asare expressed hope that the government would respond to their needs.