Cabinet approves mining reforms to give Ghanaians a bigger stake – Lands Minister

Cabinet has approved a revised Minerals and Mining Policy aimed at giving Ghanaians a bigger role in the mining sector and improving benefits for mining communities.

It has also endorsed proposed amendments to the Minerals and Mining Act for consideration by Parliament.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, announced this at the Mining in Motion 2026 summit in Accra.

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He said the reforms would provide clearer rules for investors, strengthen protections for communities and help Ghana secure lasting benefits from its mineral resources.

“Our reforms are intended to give investors clearer rules, communities more dependable protections, and the Republic a stronger foundation for long-term development,” he stated.

The proposed changes cover land leasing, local participation and community development.

Armah-Kofi Buah said Ghanaian businesses must have the skills and control needed to execute mining contracts.

“Genuine participation must mean businesses with the capability and authority to do the work, not the use of Ghanaian names to conceal control elsewhere,” he stated.

He urged African countries to leverage rising global demand for minerals to create jobs, train young people and develop local industries.

He said the success of the mining sector should also be measured by the number of local businesses supplying mines, the skills workers acquire and the benefits communities receive.

“We should also be asking how many African firms can supply our mines? How many engineers can operate our processing facilities? How many young people are gaining marketable skills?” he asked.

Citing Bank of Ghana figures, he said Ghana’s gold exports increased from $10.31 billion in 2024 to $24.98 billion in 2025.

He said an industry of that scale should create opportunities for Ghanaian businesses in engineering, equipment supply, manufacturing and other services.

The minister also highlighted the Ghana Gold Board’s role in organising the purchase and export of gold from the small-scale mining sector.

He said Ghana was working to improve gold refining, testing and systems for tracking the origin of gold.

On lithium, aluminium and other minerals, he said the government wanted to attract investments that support local processing where commercially viable.

He called for partnerships that offer investors fair returns while enabling African countries to build strong industries.

“The resources are still here. The duty is now ours,” he said.

DR/MA

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