Friday 31 October 2025, 5.30pm - 7pm
Lecture Theatre 2, L2, Maths Institute, Woodstock Road, Oxford
All welcome.
AfOx insaka's bring together thousands of people on one platform to share ideas and exchange knowledge on Africa related research.
Join our next insaka on Friday 31st October, 2025 at 5:30pm UK time. The Insaka will also be streamed live on AfOx YouTube Channel. You can join and subscribe to our channel here.
Coloniality, Citizenship, and the environmental threats of mineral extraction in African countries : The Case of Galamsey in Ghana -Prof Caesar Atuire
Many African countries are grappling with how to govern the extraction of minerals in ways that are equitable, responsible, and environmentally sustainable. The growth of renewable energy technologies and AI promises to increase the demand for critical minerals. Current mining laws in many African countries are premised on coloniality.
I take illegal small-scale gold mining, galamsey, in Ghana as a case study. Galamsey’s impact is profound: it destroys forests, pollutes water sources, destabilizes the balance of the ecosystem, exposes human and animal populations to health risks such as diseases and accidents, and fosters conflicts in communities. Beyond the environmental and social costs, galamsey also raises ethical questions about justice, governance, and what we owe future generations.
I argue that galamsey is primarily a moral problem and not just legal and environmental threat to current and future Ghanaians. Current gold mining policies are deeply rooted in coloniality, a system designed to subtract local agency by perpetuating epistemicide, ecocide, and genocide. The defiance of galamseyers could arguably be interpreted as an attempt by disenfranchised citizens and communities to regain control over natural resources. The use of State coercion and the depiction of galamseyers as criminals could further heighten tensions, alienate communities and citizens, and undermine long-term solutions to the social, health, and environmental challenges caused by the current practice of galamsey.
I suggest an ethical approach of respectful and participatory engagement with the practitioners of galamsey to co-generate an equitable and accountable framework for gold mining policies in Ghana.
Why Do African Presidents Travel Abroad For Medical Care? -Dr Tolulope Osayomi
This study examines the paradox of African presidents seeking medical care abroad through the lens of medical geography and African politics. Using mapping, digital ethnography, and archival research, it explores how power, inequality, and healthcare quality shape these medical trips, and reveal deeper crises within Africa’s health systems.
Medical Humanities Research Hub, TORCH Research Hubs
