Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings Sworn In As Environment, Science And Technology Minister

President John Dramani Mahama has sworn in Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings as Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, placing the fight against illegal mining, environmental protection, and the development of Ghana’s scientific capacity among key priorities for her ministry.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, took the Oath of Allegiance, Oath of Office, and Oath of Secrecy at Jubilee House in Accra on Saturday, 29 August 2026.

Her appointment followed parliamentary approval of her nomination on 27 August, after she appeared before the Appointments Committee for vetting.

President Mahama said Dr Agyeman-Rawlings’ medical training, parliamentary experience, and public health background gave her a useful perspective on the relationship between environmental degradation and human health.

He asked her to take decisive action against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, and accelerate work on climate resilience.

“The environment is not separate from human health,” President Mahama said, linking polluted rivers, contaminated soil, unsafe air, and poor sanitation to health problems.

He described the destruction of forests and water bodies through illegal mining as one of the gravest threats to Ghana’s national survival and said the government would continue to act against people whose pursuit of private profit damages the environment.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings’ responses during her parliamentary vetting pointed to some of the issues she is likely to face in the new role.

She said the scale and complexity of illegal mining required an approach involving several ministries, state agencies, and other stakeholders rather than isolated action by one institution. She indicated that she would work closely with institutions, including those responsible for lands and natural resources and local government.

She also raised concerns about the loss of scientists from Ghana’s research institutions, pointing to poor working conditions, inadequate resources, and limited prospects for professional development as factors that could contribute to the country’s scientific brain drain.

During the vetting, she further called for stronger support for scientific research and closer links between research institutions, industry and government. The aim would be to move research beyond the laboratory and increase the commercialisation of Ghanaian innovations.

Another issue she addressed was plastic waste. She backed efforts to restrict problematic plastic products and called for enforcement alongside public education. She also proposed increased support for research into plant-based alternatives to plastics.

President Mahama told her to make science, technology, and innovation central to Ghana’s economic development, including through support for local inventors and research that can improve agriculture, healthcare, climate resilience, and the digital economy.

The President also stressed the need for cooperation between government institutions in dealing with environmental challenges.

He said traditional leaders, religious bodies, district assemblies, scientists, civil society organizations, and local communities should be treated as partners in achieving the ministry’s objectives.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, therefore, takes over a ministry with a broad mandate spanning environmental protection, scientific research, and technological development at a time when illegal mining, pollution, climate resilience, and the retention of scientific expertise remain major national concerns.

Her appointment also comes after the death of former Environment, Science, and Technology Minister Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed in the August 2025 helicopter crash. The portfolio had subsequently been under acting oversight.

President Mahama said the new minister should approach the role with courage and humility while ensuring that public resources were managed prudently and decisions were guided by legality, fairness, and the public interest.