Alidu, S.Armah, R.2020-02-212020-02-212015-04-17http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/handle/123456789/34893School of social sciences colloquium"Yen a ra Asaase Ni ", a popular patriotic song from Ephraim Amu celebrates the great wealth bestowed on the country by nature. Like this song, the national colours of Ghana (specifically the yellow in between the Red and Green) celebrate the mineral wealth of the country. Indeed, the name "Ghana", given after independence, is borrowed from an old empire thought to be rich in gold. Contemporary Ghana is endowed with mineral deposits such as gold, diamond, manganese and bauxite. There are also unexploited economic deposits of iron ore, limestone, kaolin, feldspar and silica sands. Despite the blessing, lack of capacity, legal policies and institutions has impeded Ghana's effort to maximize benefits from these resources. Recognizing the potential of Small Scale Mining (SSM) to national development, the Government of Ghana initiated the regularization of Small Scale Gold Mining in 1989 with the promulgation of the Small Scale Gold Mining Law, PNDCL218. This decision aimed to provide technical support to SSM, capturing all the minerals produced into official channels; generating employment and regulating the industry in such a way that the miners operate in an environmentally friendly manner. However, the existence of these legal frameworks mismatches the ongoing practice, especially the activities of "galamsey" operators. This paper seeks to interrogate the gap between theory and practice and its causes. Using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews of experts, it will argue that until theory matches practice it will be difficult to benefit from our natural resources without heavy losses on the environment and humans.enSmall Scale Mining (SSM)galamseyGhanaresourcesArticle