Accra: Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the safe and sustainable management of Ghana’s natural resources. The government, he said, will ensure a balance between industrial development and environmental protection.
According to Ghana News Agency, Alhaji Sulemana was speaking at the opening of a five-day International symposium on Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM XI) in Accra. The symposium, themed ‘Broadening Optimisation in Industrial Processes Involving NORM: A Focus on Sustainability in Extractive Industries,’ aims to provide a platform for industry, technical, scientific, academia, and regulatory bodies involved in the management of NORM to discuss current issues and share scientific and technical knowledge.
Alhaji Sulemana emphasized that Ghana is honored to host this prestigious global event, being the second African country after Morocco to do so. This reflects Ghana’s growing reputation as a hub for scientific excellence, environmental stewardship, and radiation safety in Africa. He stressed the importance of natural resources to economic and industrial growth, highlighting the need for strict safety and sustainability measures to prevent over-exploitation.
The Deputy Minister noted that NORM is prevalent in several sectors in Ghana, including mining, oil and gas, fertilizer production, cement manufacturing, and even water treatment and scrap metal recycling. While these sectors contribute significantly to national development, their by-products can contain radionuclides that pose occupational and environmental risks if not properly managed.
Alhaji Sulemana described the symposium as a vital platform for collaboration among scientists, regulators, industry practitioners, and policymakers to share knowledge, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and build technical capacity for effective and sustainable management of NORM. He encouraged participants to actively engage and develop actionable strategies that integrate scientific research, policy, and industrial practice to enhance radiation protection and promote sustainable industry operations.
He assured Ghana’s continued collaboration with international partners, particularly the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to strengthen national capacity in radiation safety and environmental management. “As a government, we remain firmly committed to supporting your research, innovation, and regulation in this field,” he added.
Professor Samuel Dampare, the President of NORM XI, highlighted that the NORM symposia had evolved from initial awareness and data-sharing efforts into a globally coordinated framework. Recent symposia have emphasized experience sharing, regulatory harmonization, and best practices in occupational protection, environmental monitoring, remediation, and stakeholder engagement. He noted that the symposium in Ghana is timely and meaningful, reflecting the country’s commitment and leadership in NORM management.
Prof. Dampare further expressed hope that the event would drive participants to pursue optimization with responsibility, stewardship, and shared progress, bringing us closer to a world where industry and the environment thrive together.