Mining companies urged to integrate community interventions in its plans

Mr Emmanuel Baidoo, the Senior Manager Sustainability for AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine, has called on mining companies to adopt an integrated approach to social investment programmes to address the human capital needs in their host communities.

Speaking on the topic: An integrated approach to community human capital development: Lessons from Iduapriem Mine, at the Ghana Mining and Energy Summit, Mr Baidoo said an effective integrated community empowerment strategy should align with the core business strategy of the company and the Sustainable Development Goals.

It must also aim at strengthening the foundations of education, growing capabilities and establishing economic participation in host communities and driven by good community relations.

Mr Baidoo said good community relations play a key role in any effective human capital development strategy between a mining company and its host communities and this guarantees and sustains the mine’s social license to operate.

“Though a mining company may have all the requisite legal permits to operate, the approval and acceptance of the local communities where the mine is located is critical to the success of the mine’s operation,” he said.

“We have heard many stories of how protests from host communities have led to the closure of some mines,” Mr Baidoo said.

He said the confrontations between communities and mining companies which often threaten the keeping of the social license are also indicators of the expectation and willingness of communities for economic participation.

He called on mining companies to see these threats as opportunities that should inform their efforts to empower communities for sustainable economic participation.

In view of this, Mr Baidoo said, a piecemeal or standalone approach to social intervention programmes is bound to fail.

“Mining companies which hope to renew their social license to operate must aim for long-term and sustainable projects which impact the lives of the people over a period of time. Importantly, these projects must empower the people in a manner that makes them independent so that they are able to continue or even scale –up without the support of the mine.”

Mr Baidoo said Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes which are carried out in close consultation with local communities provide an effective and more sustainable way for companies to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of people in areas in which they operate.

“Host communities exist within a wider society. So, while it is important to secure local community buy-in, deliberate efforts must also be made to rope in other relevant stakeholders such as government, civil society organisations etc, to ensure a robust and enduring Human Capital Development strategy,” he said.

Mr Baidoo said by adopting an integrated approach to its community empowerment interventions, AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine has seen a more streamlined and visible community investment, which has led to growing resilience of its host communities.