The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has disclosed Ghana’s gold production in 2022 was in excess of 3.74 million ounces, which made her the leading producer of gold in Africa that year.
This achievement, he attributed to the collective efforts and collaboration of all stakeholders, particularly the Ghana Chamber of Mines.
Addressing the Ghana Mining Expo in Takoradi on Friday, Abu Jinapor highlighted the substantial investments made in expanding existing mines and developing new ones, including Cardinal Resources Namdini in the Upper East Region, Azumah Resources in the Upper West Region, and Newmont Ahafo North in the Ahafo Region.
He expressed the government’s confidence in maintaining this prominent position for the foreseeable future.
He emphasized the abundance of other mineral resources in Ghana, such as bauxite, manganese, diamonds, lithium, iron ore, nickel, zinc, chromium, copper, cobalt, lead, columbite, tantalite, as well as various industrial minerals including clay, feldspar, limestone, salt, granites, silica sand, kaolin, and raw materials used in activated carbon production for gold processing.
He highlighted the immense investment opportunities available across the entire value chain of these minerals and in mine support services.
The government, he said, is committed to collaborating with the private sector to develop strategies that not only exploit these resources but also transform the mining sector into a catalyst for industrialization.
The Minister acknowledged that despite the significant contribution of the mining industry to the national economy, optimal benefits have not been realized.
“This is largely attributed to over-reliance on the export of raw minerals, lack of linkages with other sectors, limited domestic capacity, inadequate monitoring mechanisms, and irresponsible mining practices.”
He noted that Ghana is not unique in facing these challenges, as many resource-rich countries in Africa continue to struggle with underdevelopment due to a lack of sufficient investment in diversified activities along the value chain and excessive reliance on raw material exports.
To address these issues, the government has adopted a three-pillar policy approach.
The pillars include diversification of Ghana’s mineral resource base to exploit lesser-known minerals, especially those critical for the green energy transition; prioritizing beneficiation and value addition to minerals mined in the country for the benefit of both the government and investors; and implementing a local content and local participation policy to ensure that Ghanaians, as the rightful owners of the country’s mineral resources, benefit from the mining industry.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to unleashing prosperity for the Ghanaian people through the development of the mining sector