Ghana must move beyond raw gold exports – Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has called for a decisive shift in Ghana’s mining policy, urging the country to move beyond the export of raw gold and other unprocessed minerals toward value addition and industrial transformation.
Addressing participants at the Mining Local Content Summit in Takoradi today Wednesday February 18, 2026, President Mahama said Ghana’s long-standing reliance on raw mineral exports must give way to a strategy focused on domestic processing, technology transfer and industrial growth.
“It is no longer acceptable for Ghana to continue exporting raw gold and importing finished products,” the President declared. “Our mineral wealth must power Ghana’s industrialization—not merely sustain export dependence.”
Ghana is Africa’s leading gold producer and ranks among the top six globally. In 2023, the extractive sector generated nearly $6.6 billion in export revenues. However, President Mahama noted that much of the high-value activity in the mining value chain still occurs outside the country.
“While we are among the world’s top gold producers, advanced engineering, processing, equipment manufacturing and refining largely take place beyond our borders,” he said. “We have been prolific producers, but we have yet to become full participants in the extracted value chain.”
Value Addition and Industrial Clusters
The President outlined government’s commitment to strengthening local content policies and building infrastructure that supports domestic refining and mineral-based industries.
“We must support the establishment of refineries and bullion infrastructure. We must promote mineral-based industrial clusters,” he stated. “We must facilitate downstream processing of our bauxite, manganese and lithium.”
He stressed that Ghana’s mining strategy must align with the global green energy transition, particularly as demand for critical minerals grows.
“Our mineral wealth must position us competitively within the global green energy transition,” he said. “We cannot remain at the bottom of the value chain while others capture the high-value segments.”
Transformational Local Content Agenda
President Mahama emphasized that the summit marked a turning point in the country’s approach to mining local content.
“This summit is about closing the gap between production and participation,” he said. “Smart, enforceable and forward-looking local content policies do not deter investment. They create sustainable competitiveness.”
He assured international investors that Ghana remains committed to stability and long-term partnerships but expects deeper collaboration.
“Ghana offers you stability, policy clarity and long-term partnership,” he said. “But we expect genuine collaboration that embeds capacity within our economy.”
Communities and Sustainability
Beyond economic transformation, President Mahama underscored the importance of responsible mining and community development.
“Mining must leave our communities better than it found them,” he stressed, reiterating government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining, reclaiming degraded lands and cleaning polluted water bodies.
He added that enforcement of mining regulations would be “consistent, transparent and fair,” ensuring that both investors and host communities benefit equitably.
A Legacy Beyond Exports
Concluding his address, President Mahama challenged stakeholders to consider the long-term legacy of Ghana’s mineral wealth.
“What will be the legacy of our mineral wealth 100 years from now?” he asked. “Will it be recorded only in export statistics and royalty payments, or will it be remembered as the foundation upon which we built world-class industries and thriving Ghanaian enterprises?”
“If we get this right,” he concluded, “our greatest export will not be raw gold or lithium. Our greatest export will be Ghanaian talent, Ghanaian technology and Ghanaian enterprise.”
