President John Dramani Mahama has raised serious concerns about Ghana’s continued export of minerals in their raw and unprocessed form, warning that the country risks losing significant economic value if the practice persists.
According to the President, shipping raw ores abroad while importing finished mineral products deprives Ghana of jobs, industrial growth, and revenue that could otherwise be generated locally.
He stressed that the time has come for Ghana to deliberately shift its focus toward value addition and downstream processing in order to fully benefit from its natural resources.
Speaking at the 2026 Mining Sector Local Content Summit at Palms by Eagle in Takoradi on Wednesday [February 18], President Mahama said the export of raw minerals can no longer be justified in an era where countries are competing to build strong industrial bases.
He noted that Ghana possesses both the mineral resources and the human capacity to establish processing plants, refineries, and related infrastructure that would allow the country to retain greater value within its borders.
“It is no longer acceptable for Ghana to continue to export raw ores and import finished products. We must aim to eliminate the export of raw ores within the next five years. We must support the establishment of refineries and bullion infrastructure, we must promote mineral-based industrial clusters, we must facilitate downstream processing of our minerals and our mineral wealth must power Ghana’s industrialisation and not merely sustained export dependence.”
He added that industrialising the mineral sector would help create employment, strengthen local supply chains, and reduce Ghana’s dependence on foreign manufacturing.
The President stressed that achieving this goal will require deliberate policy interventions, including incentives for private investment in mineral processing, partnerships with global technology providers, and improved access to financing for local firms willing to venture into refining and manufacturing.
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No spam, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital
