We can't be a major gold producer and not own a major mining company - Akufo Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stressed the need for Ghana to establish its own prominent mining entities and leverage its status as Africa's leading gold producer

He said this on his Facebook page after laying the foundation for the new Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Technical Training Centre at George Grant University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa on May 3, 2024.

“We must be deliberate about creating our own major mining companies. It cannot be that we proudly wear the crown as Africa’s number one gold producer, yet we are missing out on the ownership participation space and in value chain development,” the president posted.

During the groundbreaking event, President Akufo-Addo recognised the role of jewellery-making in economic growth, envisioning the centre as a breeding ground for skilled jewellers and entrepreneurs.

“Through the construction of this centre, we expect that a new breed of jewellers will be trained here. They will be imbued with the requisite training to become very good jewellers, who will also be trained in how to build businesses. And equally important, they will be given a skill that will turn Ghana into a jewellery bar for Africa.

“I am confident that this technical centre will not only benefit the students and faculty of this university but elsewhere to cultivate the advancement of the mining industry as a whole,” President Akufo-Addo was reported by 3news.com to have said.

The facility, expected to be operational in eight months, will include a 500-seat auditorium, a comprehensive library, and offices to facilitate practical training in metalsmithing, jewellery technology, and hallmarking to meet international standards. It will also incorporate artificial intelligence in mineral processing.

ID/ADG

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