Ghana will collaborate with China to optimize the mining industry - Samuel Jinapor

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor has said the government of Ghana remains committed to collaborating with the government of China to optimize the country's mining industry.

Addressing the China Mining Conference, 2023 in Tianjin, on Thursday, October 26, 2023, on the theme “Innovation promotes high-quality development of mining”,

the minister emphasized the importance of technology and innovation in the mining industry particularly in Africa in ensuring the survival of the sector.

“Africa holds about 30% of the world's mineral reserves and will be enjoined by the Africa mining vision to promote optimal exploitation of these mineral resources to underpin broad sustainable growth and socio-economic development".

“We develop the right tools and technology through innovation. It is by harnessing the power of innovation that we can maximize efficiency, reduce waste, and create a lawless-driven mining sector. It is by the power of technology that we can address the historical environmental degradation and social challenges associated with mining to promote mining efficiency and build a secular economy", he said.

The minister emphasized that the effective use of technology and innovation in mining countries can increase production and add more value to the minerals produced.

The conference he said provides an important opportunity for stakeholders in the mining sector across the globe particularly the role of technology and innovation in building a green sustainable and safe mining industry.

“It is an invitation for all of us governments, investors, and other industry players to access president and past mining practices visa-vie the industry the industry we seek to build, and more importantly it is a call to scale up investment in the mining industry to develop affordable and innovative technologies sustainable mining as well as to adopt innovative approaches to key financial issue", he said.

The minister disclosed that the world today largely depends on minerals and mining which provide components for the manufacturing industry.

“This has become more profound as the world works toward a green energy transition and the need to promote high-quality development of mining is therefore non-negotiable. And we therefore must seize every opportunity presented to us to improve technology to ensure a responsible and sustainable mining industry but above all we must be innovative and invest in value addition for the benefit of our people", he lamented.

The minister described Africa as home to the green minerals required for the green energy transition.

According to him, the available statistic shows that the African continent host about 91% of a platinum group of metals, 79% of phosphate rock, 53% of carbons, 46% of Manganese, 35% of chromite, 25% of bauxite, 21% of graphite, 6% of copper, and substantial deposit of other minerals like lithium, iron odd and real earth element.

Highlighting mineral deposits in Africa, especially in Ghana, Samuel Jinapor said Ghana is currently the leading producer of Gold in Africa with a very robust linkage in the mining industry and has already been mining gold, bauxite, and manganese for well over 80 years.

“We have just signed an agreement for our first lithium project amidst extensive work for the development of our iron odds and other resources but to realize the benefits of these critical minerals we must add value to them. Blumberg for example estimates that the global lithium industry at the mining stage is about 11 billion dollars but the value of the industry at the highest end of the value chain is over 7 trillion US dollars".

"Unfortunately, because of our dependence on export of raw materials and raw minerals African countries currently involved in the exploitation of lithium are said to be making only 10-15% of the full value chain. We cannot benefit optimally from these resources if we continue to depend on the export of raw material", he bemoaned.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources disclosed to the captains of the global mining sector that the government of Ghana led by President Nana Akufo Addo has taken a policy decision to promote the value of additional mineral resources and is doing so with strong state participation through vehicles such as minerals investment found, the Ghana Integrated Aluminum Corporation and Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Corporation.

He said the government's focus is to promote state investment and development in the mining industry and the development of integrated aluminum and iron and steel industries which cannot be achieved without innovations and technology.

As Ghana began the mining of Lithium the sector, Samuel Abu Jinapor disclosed the government is committed to partnering with the government of China and other Chinese mining private companies and investors to promote Ghana's green minerals.

“Our ultimate aim in Ghana is to ensure that exploitation, management, and use of our natural resources ileus to the benefit of the people of Ghana while ensuring optimal returns for investors", Jinapor said.