Ghana has unveiled a Green Minerals Roadmap to transform the country’s mineral sector into a sustainable, industrial-driven economy by promoting value addition, domestic processing and responsible resource development.
The roadmap, launched at the 9th Mining on Top Africa Summit in Paris, France, is designed to position Ghana as a key player in the global green minerals value chain by linking mineral resources to manufacturing, clean energy development and long-term economic growth.
The initiative, themed “Value Beyond Extraction – Industrialisation, Value Addition & Long-Term National Benefit,” outlines measures to move Ghana away from the traditional export of raw minerals and towards an integrated minerals industry where more economic value is retained domestically.
Representing the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh, and Theophilus Kekeli Agbenyezi, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, said the roadmap reflects Ghana’s commitment to achieving “value beyond extraction” through policies that encourage local processing, refining and industrial development.
A key component of the framework is the plan to phase out the export of unprocessed minerals, including gold, bauxite, manganese and lithium, by 2030. Under the policy direction, mining companies are expected to establish domestic processing and refining capacity to strengthen Ghana’s resource sovereignty and maximise economic benefits from its mineral wealth.
The Green Minerals Roadmap places particular emphasis on critical minerals needed for the global energy transition. Ghana is restructuring to participate in the electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing ecosystem by restricting raw lithium exports and promoting investments in midstream processing and related industries.
The roadmap also highlights the development of Ghana’s aluminium industry through the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC), which is advancing plans to leverage the country’s estimated 960 million metric tonnes of bauxite reserves. The objective is to develop domestic refining capacity and supply processed aluminium for industries such as automotive manufacturing.
The green minerals strategy seeks to strengthen local economic participation through reforms in mining supply chains. The Minerals Commission is enforcing procurement requirements that prioritise “100% Ghanaian-owned enterprises” in selected areas, ensuring that opportunities created by the sector support domestic businesses.
The framework also identifies human capital development as a critical pillar of sustainable mineral development. Through local content regulations, mining companies are being encouraged to work with institutions such as the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to build technical skills, while expatriate participation limits are being used to promote knowledge transfer.
Environmental sustainability remains central to the roadmap, with the government seeking to address challenges associated with artisanal and small-scale mining. Through the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), Ghana is supporting the formalisation of small-scale mining activities, the adoption of mercury-free extraction methods and improved compliance with environmental and financial regulations.
The Minerals Commission said the Green Minerals Roadmap provides a pathway for Ghana to achieve “sustainable and inclusive” mining development by integrating mineral resources with industrialisation, environmental responsibility and long-term national benefit.
