Kwasi Boadu Ntiamoah, a third-year BSc Geological Engineering Student from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, has won the second edition of the Quarry Life National Awards (QLA) organised by the country’s foremost cement manufacturer GHACEM Ltd.

The ceremony, held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra on Thursday, saw Mr. Kwasi Boadu Ntiamoah claim the 5,000 euro (GH?19,941) prize at stake, as his project on “The use of vermicompost from organic food waste as a potential treat for topsoil in restoring Biodiversity at quarry site reclamation” was adjudged the best.

His closest competitor, Reuben Danso Minta-- from the University of Mines and Technology – who placed second with his project “Protecting Communities from Quarry Dust using Pennisetum purpureum as a dust barrier to promote Biodiversity in a Mining Site”, took home GH?11,691 (3,000 euro) while Millicent Amekugbe from the Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana), the third placed, won GH?5,982 (1,500 euro) with her project “Implications of Edge Effects as a tool in assisting ecological succession”.

Five projects, including those of Dr. Jonathan Hogarh (Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST) and Bridget Akpably (Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Cape Coast) which won fourth and fifth prize respectively were selected for the QLA initiative that seeks to source ideas toward the effective management of biodiversity in all mining sites of HeidelbergCement (HC) Group, the mother company of GHACEM.

In his speech, the Managing Director of GHACEM, Mr. Morten Gade, noted that the QLA was launched by HeidelbergCement Group of Germany to among others raise knowledge of mining sites’ biological value and contribute to further enhancing it, since the Group is committed to managing biodiversity during and after extraction.

“As a responsible company that gives true meaning to government’s local Content Policy Ghacem, he said, will continue to mine responsibly and ensure that it looks for innovative ways of restoring degraded lands after mining.

Mr. Gade applauded the 5 finalists for showing professionalism and dedication toward their various projects, and particularly hailed the overall best winner -- hoping the project emerges best globally at a later global award ceremony that will be held in Prague, Czech Republic.

Present at the event were top Executives of Ghacem and the QLA. They included Kwabena Labi Addo, the National Coordinator; Mr. Solomon Ayiah, the QLA Communications Coordinator; Mr. Daniel Fordjour Agyemang, Dr. Erasmus Owusu and Mr. Yaw Kwakye, National Jury members. Also present was the Deputy Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) Bernice Adiku Heloo who represented the sector minister as the guest speaker, and Nii Osah Mills, the Minister for Land and Natural Resources.

Delivering the address on behalf of the MESTI Sector Minister, Hon. Bernice Adiku Heloo commended Ghacem and its mother company HeidelbergCement for their contribution to Ghana’s socio-economic development through the QLA initiative, which seeks to ensure environmental sustainability

“This is indeed a good sign that companies are becoming environmentally conscious; Ghacem has led the way so we expect other mining companies to follow suit by promoting land reclamation after mining to improve production.”

Government, she said, will partner private institutions to manage the environment sustainably for accelerated socio-economic development.