The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) is set to host the 20th edition of its flagship democracy and governance public lecture, “Kronti ne Akwamu (Democracy and Good Governance),” on Thursday, November 27, 2025, at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra. The event, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will examine why illegal mining continues despite years of interventions and what governance reforms are required to address the crises.
Award-winning investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor will deliver the lecture on the topic, Galamsey: A Country’s Search for a Solution in Plain Sight. His lecture will explore the institutional weaknesses, enforcement challenges, and political incentives that have fostered illegal mining even as the environmental, economic, and health costs adversely affect the citizens.
Illegal mining remains one of Ghana’s most pressing governance issues, with rivers polluted, forests lost, farms destroyed, and communities exposed to long-term health risks. Despite multiple initiatives by successive governments, the problem has persisted, raising questions about accountability, coordination, and political will. Drawing on years of investigative reporting, Erastus Asare Donkor’s speech is expected to present evidence on where anti-galamsey efforts are failing and the structural reforms needed to make significant progress.
CDD-Ghana views this year’s lecture as a pivotal moment in the ongoing national conversation. “I think it’s a seminal moment because everybody realizes that this is an issue where something more substantive and drastic has to happen,” said Dr. Kojo Asante, Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at the Center.
Since the first edition in 2005, the Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture has served as one of Ghana’s most prominent platforms for public dialogue on democratic governance. The annual event brings together policymakers, academics, civil society leaders, journalists, and citizens to interrogate critical national issues through research, public reflection, and open discussion.
Over the last two decades, the platform has featured prominent speakers whose work has shaped democratic and governance discourse globally and nationally. Past speakers include Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former UN secretary-general, the late Kofi Annan; Dr. K.Y. Amoako, former head of the Economic Commission for Africa and founder-president of the African Center for Economic Transformation; Dr. Jendayi Frazer, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; the late Rt. Hon. Peter Ala Adjetey, former Speaker of Parliament; democracy scholar Professor Larry Diamond of Stanford University; and Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, co-founder and first Executive Director of the African Women Development Fund.
The 20th Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture, which is free and open to the public, offers an important opportunity to reassess national strategies, integrate evidence from ongoing research, and encourage a more coherent policy response. The Center notes that the conversation is not only about environmental protection but also about the resilience of Ghana’s governance systems and their ability to safeguard the public interest.
As the event marks two decades of democratic reflection, the Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture continues to provide a platform for critical national conversations on political accountability, constitutionalism, and development. This year’s focus on illegal mining aims to deepen public understanding of the crisis and galvanize collective action toward lasting solutions.
