How Ibrahim came into great wealth - John Mahama details

President John Dramani Mahama has shared a personal story of how his brother Ibrahim, one of Ghana’s early indigenous mining entrepreneurs, rose from humble beginnings to help break barriers in the country’s mining and engineering sector.

Speaking during a congregation at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), President Mahama recalled that during a period when their father was in political exile, some of his younger siblings, including Ibrahim, were sent to England to further their education and to shield them from political persecution back home.

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“At the time, the intention was to allow them to continue their education while keeping them out of political trouble in Ghana,” he said.

According to President Mahama, Ibrahim showed an early fascination with machines and engineering, often dismantling objects just to understand how they worked.

That curiosity, he said, quickly evolved into a deep interest in aircraft, motorcycles, automobiles, and heavy industrial equipment.

While living in England, he said Ibrahim continued to nurture his passion for engineering. It was there that he met a contractor, believed to be an Irish, who was actually bankrupt.

“Ibrahim saw an opportunity and proposed that they pool their expertise, form a company, and take a few bulldozers and excavators to Ghana, so, they came together to form Engineers and Planners,” he recounted.

The partnership eventually led to the establishment of what became Ghana’s first indigenous mining company.

However, President John Dramani Mahama noted that the journey was far from easy.

At the time, he explained, Ghanaian-owned firms were not allowed to operate as main contractors for large mining companies.

“Most of the major contracts were controlled by Australian, Canadian, and other expatriate companies. Indigenous firms like Ibrahim’s were only given small subcontracting roles,” he explained.

Despite these limitations, Ibrahim’s company secured subcontracting work with African Mining Services (AMS) and quickly built a reputation for delivering quality work on schedule and within budget.

As trust in the company’s capabilities grew, so did the scale of the projects awarded to it.

Over time, Ibrahim’s success helped open the door for other Ghanaian-owned companies to be recognised and entrusted with direct contracts in the mining sector.

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President Mahama said the story of Ibrahim reflects the resilience, innovation, and determination of Ghanaians, particularly in industries long dominated by foreign firms.

“It is stories like these that remind us of what is possible when talent is given the opportunity to grow,” he added.

NA/AE

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