The government has successfully repossessed all nine red zone forest reserves previously occupied by armed gangs and planted 7.8 million seedlings toward President Mahama’s 30 million tree target.

The Minster for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah who revealed this at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Wednesday, further disclosed that the Forestry Commission, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, has reclaimed the forest reserves that were under the control of armed groups.

“At the beginning of my service as a minister, I informed the people of Ghana of the crisis we face. But I am happy to tell you today that we have repossessed all these forests,” the minister declared.

He acknowledged that while the repossession doesn’t mean they are completely out of the woods, forestry guards are now able to enter and exit the reserves freely and receive reinforcement when needed.

The minister revealed that over 5,500 hectares of forest reserves have been degraded, equivalent to 7,500 football fields, largely due to illegal mining, illegal logging, wildfires, and unsustainable agricultural practices.

The Minister announced that 279 trucks conveying illegal lumber were intercepted, fined, and the illegal wood confiscated and auctioned as part of the government’s strategy to promote legal timber trade.

The minister announced that President Mahama launched the Tree for Life initiative at Nkawie in the Ashanti region in March this year, with the President leading the nation to commence the tree planting exercise on June 5th, emphasizing the government’s commitment to planting 30 million trees.

“As of mid-July 2025, a total of 7.8 million seedlings have been distributed and planted, out of which 2.3 million were planted by the private sector,” Mr Armah-Kofi Buah disclosed.

He explained that the planting campaign is ongoing, with the target expected to be met at the end of the rainy season, noting that they just started the planting in June and July, which accounts for the current numbers.

“I believe that with the diligence and hard work led by the Forestry Commission team, we will meet the target by October this year,” the minister assured.

Richard Aniagyei, ISD