Ghana Remains Africa's Most Secure and Rewarding Mining Destination

Ghana's Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has assured global investors of the country's stability and attractive mining investment opportunities, highlighting its position as Africa's leading gold producer, strong governance record, and peaceful political transitions over the past three decades. Ghana has attracted over US$20 billion in mining investment to date, with mining contributing approximately 40% of the country's export earnings. Minister Buah emphasized the need to shift from exporting raw minerals to processing and value addition, citing the government's commitment to a paradigm shift in ensuring mining wealth translates into tangible benefits for communities.

Key Takeaways:

• Ghana has attracted over US$20 billion in mining investment to date, with a strong governance record and peaceful political transitions over the past three decades.
• The country's mining sector contributes approximately 40% of Ghana's export earnings, with gold being the leading export.
• Ghana is seeking to shift its focus from exporting raw minerals to processing and value addition, with the aim of ensuring mining wealth translates into tangible benefits for communities.
• The government is working with private partners to build integrated value chains from mining through to refining and manufacturing, including the Ghana Integrated Bauxite Aluminium Development Corporation and the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation.
• Ghana is estimated to hold more than 1.5 billion tonnes of iron ore resources, with promising geological prospects for other base metals such as cobalt, copper, nickel, and zinc.
• The country is committed to improving transparency and investor confidence through the introduction of the Mineral Cadastre Administration System (MCAS), a digital platform designed to speed up approvals and reduce bureaucracy in licencing.

Statistics:

• Ghana has attracted over US$20 billion in mining investment to date.
• The country's mining sector contributes approximately 40% of Ghana's export earnings.
• Ghana is estimated to hold over 1.5 billion tonnes of iron ore resources.
• The Mineral Cadastre Administration System (MCAS) is designed to speed up approvals and reduce bureaucracy in licencing.
• Ghana has more than 200 engineering and service companies and over 500 active exploration projects in its well-established mining ecosystem.

Sources:

• The Business and Financial Times.
• 23rd Africa Down Under Conference in Perth, Australia.