The persistence of illegal artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Ghana is a manifestation of systemic governance failure. This study advances a novel analytical framework that integrates actor-network and political economy perspectives to diagnose how formal and informal networks among local leaders, state officials, and miners sustain this illicit economy. Through a rapid evidence synthesis, we demonstrate that the triad of complicit local leadership, systemic corruption, and institutionalized enforcement deficits operates as a mutually reinforcing system. Spatially grounded analysis of hotspots such as Amansie West and Upper Denkyira reveals the precise mechanisms underlying this breakdown in governance. In response, we propose targeted anti-corruption safeguards, advanced monitoring technologies, and governance-enabled livelihood diversification. Aside from aligning ASGM reform with the water-energy-food nexus and SDG 15.3 on land degradation neutrality, we highlight the cross-sectoral costs of inaction. Our contribution lies in synthesizing evidence into a transferable governance model that links institutional diagnostics with actionable strategies for mineral-dependent states.
Agya et al. (2026) studied this question.