Ghana’s push to process its mineral resources locally will only be effective if it is aligned with similar efforts by neighbouring countries.
This is according to President John Dramani Mahama, who says frameworks such as Agenda 2063, the African Mining Vision and the African Continental Free Trade Area provide a solid foundation for such cooperation.
He says the continent must translate these frameworks into coordinated investments, regional infrastructure and larger markets for African producers.
President Mahama said this at the Mining in Motion Conference 2026, in Accra on Monday, October 19, 2026, on the theme “One Continent, One Voice of Minerals – Aligning Africa’s Mineral Future.”
He said as Ghana prepares to assume the chairmanship of the African Union in 2027, it will carry the spirit of the Accra Research into the collective effort of the entire continent.
“We must translate these frameworks into coordinated investments, regional infrastructure and larger markets for African producers. As Ghana prepares to assume the chairmanship of the African Union in 2027, we will carry the spirit of the Accra Research into this collective effort,” he said.
President Mahama also highlighted the role of the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) in building the capacity of countries to develop mineral processing arrangements.
He urged AU member states that have not yet ratified the AMDC statutes to do so and deposit their instruments of ratification with the African Union as soon as possible.
“We must support the AMDC with dependable funding, technical expertise and clear expectations for delivery. It can help our countries share geological knowledge, strengthen negotiating capacity, and develop regional value chains,” he added.
He lamented that poor negotiations and the award of large mineral concessions to foreign interests have left African countries with only a small share of the wealth from their natural resources, resulting in massive financial outflows while communities continue to grapple with poverty.
“This legacy of the colonial era accounted for much of the poverty and suffering experienced across the continent,” he said.
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