Ghana plans to end the export of unprocessed mineral ores by 2030 to drive domestic processing and manufacturing across its mining sector, according to Mongabay.
President John Dramani Mahama announced the target during the African Minerals Policy Forum in Accra.
Mahama said the government intends to pursue a phased prohibition on raw ore exports backed by legal measures and implementation timelines.
The strategy prioritises domestic value retention across bauxite-to-aluminium, iron ore and steel, manganese processing, and gold refining.
“Will our copper bring electricity to African homes? Will our bauxite power African factories?” Mahama asked.
He urged delegates to reconsider mineral agreements and establish regional value chains where continental manufacturers are supplied by minerals processed within Africa.
The proposed ban follows statutory changes in April 2025, when the Ghanaian Parliament established GoldBod, granting the state authority exclusive rights to buy, assay, grade, value, sell, and export gold and other precious minerals.
GoldBod CEO Sammy Gyamfi says the entity locally refined 5.4 tonnes of the 5.7 tonnes — nearly 95% — of gold purchased from artisanal and small-scale operations this month (October 2026) alone.
Under the Ghana Accelerated National Reserve Accumulation Program (GANRAP), 30% of gold output purchased from large-scale mining operations is also being refined locally, according to Gyamfi.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Main image: Unsplash
