Isaac Tandoh calls for unified mining rules across Africa

Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh, has called on African countries to adopt common regulatory standards to ensure the continent derives greater value from its mineral resources.

He said African mining regulators must move away from separate national policies and work together to establish a unified framework for the management of critical minerals.

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Tandoh made the call at the Egypt Mining Forum in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday, September 27, 2026, where he proposed the creation of a Pan-African Critical Minerals Charter to help harmonise regulations and protect the interests of African countries.

He, however, warned that differences in mining policies could allow foreign companies to play countries against each other by seeking lower taxes, weaker regulations and other concessions.

“Africa's minerals are critical not because global markets say so, but because they hold the key to our continent's economic sovereignty and industrial future,” Tandoh said.

He also added that African countries must define the value of their mineral resources based on their own economic and industrial needs.

“If we define our resource value on our own terms, mining becomes a true driver of broad-based domestic growth; if we fail to unite, we risk remaining merely a raw-material warehouse for other nations' green energy transitions,” he stated.

Tandoh also outlined regulatory reforms being pursued in Ghana to increase state returns from mining, promote local value addition and improve environmental compliance.

He further urged African countries to include clear conditions in mining agreements on local job creation, technology transfer and investment in mining communities.

He also argued that automatic contract renewals and unmonitored privileges in the mining sector should be brought to an end.

He maintained that stronger cooperation among African regulators would help ensure that the continent’s mineral wealth contributes more directly to infrastructure, employment and long-term economic development.

ANAS/MA

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