Ghana plans to end exports of unprocessed mineral ores by 2030 as the government seeks to expand domestic processing, strengthen manufacturing and retain more economic value from the country’s natural resources.
President John Dramani Mahama announced the target at the African Minerals Policy Forum in Accra, held under the theme “The Accra Reset and Africa’s Mineral Sovereignty”.
Mahama argued that African countries could no longer continue exporting raw materials that support global industries while importing finished products manufactured from those same resources.
“Will our copper bring electricity to African homes? Will our bauxite power African factories?” he asked delegates, calling for a fundamental change in how mineral agreements are negotiated and how the benefits of extraction are distributed.
The president said Ghana had exported manganese and bauxite for decades without capturing sufficient value from their downstream processing. He argued that this approach had limited opportunities for skilled employment, technological development and industrial growth.
Phased restrictions on unprocessed mineral exports
Under the government’s Accra Reset agenda, Ghana intends to strengthen domestic mineral processing and establish closer links between mining and manufacturing.
Mahama identified ongoing initiatives across the bauxite-to-aluminium value chain, iron ore and steel production, manganese processing and gold refining as important components of the strategy.
He also announced plans to introduce a phased prohibition on exports of unprocessed mineral ores, supported by the necessary legislation and clearly defined implementation timelines.
The proposed restrictions are intended to encourage investment in local processing facilities and increase the contribution of the mining sector to Ghana’s industrial development.
Regional cooperation to strengthen African value chains
Mahama also called for greater cooperation between African countries, arguing that governments should work together rather than compete for investment on unfavourable terms.
He proposed developing regional mineral value chains in which resources extracted in one country could be processed in another before supplying manufacturers across the continent.
Such cooperation, he said, would help African countries build industrial capacity, improve regional trade and capture a larger share of the value generated from their mineral resources.
The president further stressed that mineral development should deliver lasting benefits to mining communities, rather than leave them facing polluted rivers, damaged farmland and limited economic opportunities.
Gold refining demonstrates local processing ambitions
Ghana has already taken steps to strengthen its control over the precious metals sector. Parliament established GoldBod in April 2025 as a statutory authority with exclusive rights to buy, assay, grade, value, sell and export gold and other precious minerals.
According to GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi, the authority locally refined 5.4 metric tonnes of the 5.7 metric tonnes of gold purchased from artisanal and small-scale mining operations during October 2026. This represented nearly 95% of the total.
Gyamfi also said that 30% of the output purchased from large-scale mining companies by the government under the Ghana Accelerated National Reserve Accumulation Program (GANRAP) was being refined locally.
Ghana’s 2030 target signals a broader effort to move beyond mineral extraction towards domestic beneficiation and manufacturing. Its success will depend on the development of processing capacity, investment in infrastructure and the ability to establish commercially viable industries that can compete in regional and international markets.