Business magnate and mining legend Sir Samuel Esson Jonah has renewed calls for a radical shift in Ghana’s mining industry, urging the country to move beyond its role as a mere labour pool and royalty collector to become a true owner of its mineral wealth.
Speaking at the signing of a $100 million facility between Engineers & Planners (E&P) and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Sir Jonah declared that the time had come for Ghanaians to take centre stage in the mining value chain.
“For decades, I have passionately argued, sometimes with frustration, always with conviction, that Ghanaians must be empowered to move from the periphery to the centre of the mining value chain,” he said. “We cannot continue to be mere labour providers or royalty collectors while others control the equity, the strategy, and ultimately, the wealth.”
His comments come as E&P, led by entrepreneur Ibrahim Mahama, prepares to develop Ghana’s first fully indigenous large-scale gold mine, that’s the Black Volta Gold Project. With EBID’s $100 million support, the project represents not just a mining milestone but a potential economic turning point.
A Sector That Has Enriched Others
For the ordinary Ghanaian, Sir Jonah’s statement hits home. Despite Ghana’s position as Africa’s top gold producer in recent years, the benefits of this status have largely remained offshore. From foreign-owned procurement chains to repatriated profits, local communities often see little beyond jobs and environmental risks.
In many mining towns, schools, clinics, and roads remain underdeveloped even as gold exports bring in billions. Sir Jonah pointed out the disconnect:
“Despite its immense contribution to exports and foreign exchange, the mining industry has been largely disconnected from the broader economy. There has been little integration, weak linkages, and minimal domestic value creation. This must change.”
Building Wealth Locally
By championing E&P’s project, Sir Jonah sees an opportunity to finally flip the script. Local ownership means local decisions, local reinvestment, and long-term national development.
The Black Volta mine is projected to produce over 160,000 ounces of gold annually, injecting significant returns into the local economy. But more importantly, it offers a model for how Ghana can reclaim control of its resources.
“When Ghanaians own the mines, when the decisions are made here, and when the value is retained within our borders, the contribution of mining to GDP, job creation, and industrial development will be significantly enhanced.”
A Call for Bold Policy Action
Sir Jonah’s remarks were not only celebratory. They came with a clear challenge to policymakers, to make it easier for local businesses to own, operate, and thrive in the extractives sector.
He drew inspiration from South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) model, which helped launch industrialist Patrice Motsepe to success, arguing that Ghana must remove the barriers that stifle local ambition: limited access to capital, rigid regulations, and lack of targeted incentives.
“Our entrepreneurs are not lacking in talent. What they often lack is access: access to capital, access to opportunity, and access to policy support.”
A Turning Point in Ghana’s Mining History?
E&P’s acquisition of the Black Volta project may mark a generational breakthrough. But Sir Jonah’s message is clear: this must not be a one-off. The success of this deal should trigger a broader agenda, one that lifts other local firms, fosters upstream and downstream linkages, and ultimately transforms mining from an enclave industry into an engine of shared prosperity.
“Let us also reflect on the responsibilities this moment confers. This must be a project that sets new standards not just for profitability, but for environmental stewardship, local content, community engagement, and good governance.”
For a nation rich in gold but often poor in the dividends of its own resources, Sir Sam Jonah’s words are a reminder and a roadmap, for what responsible, Ghanaian-led mining can become.
