This, he said would make them more relevant as well as help them get other better opportunities within the value chains in the mining industry.  Mr Nantogmah gave the advice at a stakeholder engagement with the staff and students of the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, here at UDS in Nyankpala.

It was to provide a broader consultation and education to the students on the importance of Mining and Development. He said there were other sectors in mining where students could focus on to improve and enhance on their skills to get other opportunities within the value chains of mining to prevent job losses.

Mr Nantogmah explained that the forum was to help the students know how mining could be used as a catalyst for development, understand the basis of mining and to also inculcate into them the need for responsible mining and efficient utilization of natural resources in the country.

He said students are the future leaders and stressed the need to educate them on mining and how to use the natural resources responsibly to make Ghana a better place. Mr Nantogmah, making a presentation on “Mining and Development said the Chamber sought to regulate and promote environmentally and socially responsible mining activities in the country.

He said the chamber was working with the Water Resources Commission (WRC) and the Forestry Commission to help enhance effective regulations, monitoring and supervision of its licenced member companies within the country to effectively conserve and protect the environment.

Mr Nantogmah said the mining sector provides more revenue than oil and urged government to strongly embrace its activities since it was one of the leading factors that could contribute to sustainable economic development in the country.

He said, in 2017, mining was the leading tax payer contributing about Ghc 2.160 billion to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), representing 16.3 per cent of GRA's Total Direct Domestic taxes.

Mr Nantogmah said mining also accounted for 43 per cent of the country's Gross Export Revenue in 2017. He said the sector equally provided both direct and indirect employment to about 10,503 citizens in 2017 as well as financial support to communities within which the sector operates through their Trust Funds and Foundations.

He, however, said the mining sector was faced with some challenges which included poor development outcomes in some mining communities as a result of the retainment of the mining receipt in the Consolidated Fund without ploughing back the mineral royalties at adequate proportions at the district assemblies.

He, therefore, appealed to the government to ensure effective regulation and accountability within the districts that enjoy the royalties. Mr Nantogmah said the Chamber would be donating an amount of Ghc 10,000.00 to the Dakpema Education Endowment Fund to support education in the northern region.

Dr Elliot Alhassan, the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment of UDS expressed gratitude to the Chamber of Mines and appealed to them to consider the establishment of a Ghana Chamber of Mines Centre of Excellence in Environmental Management in UDS to facilitate more collaboration in research leading to a better management of the environment.

The students appealed to the Ghana Chamber of Mines to help support the faculty with materials that would help them in their research activities. They said the Chamber should assist in providing sponsorship to students to help train them to become experts in their field of study.