The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has urged global mining giant, Zijin Mining Group, to make Ghana its focal point and springboard for expanding its exploration and investment activities across Africa.
He said Ghana was strategically positioned to serve as a major mining investment hub on the continent and was ready to work with the Chinese conglomerate to establish a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership in the mining sector.
“We want you to make Ghana your focal point and perhaps the springboard of your exploration in Africa,” Mr Armah-Kofi Buah told the President of Zijin Mining Group, Lin Hongfu, during an official visit to China.
The Minister was in China as part of efforts to promote Ghana’s mining industry and position the country as an attractive destination for global mining investment. He urged the leadership of Zijin to consider its relationship with Ghana as a long-term strategic partnership rather than a short-term business engagement.
According to him, such a partnership could create a win-win situation for both Ghana and the Chinese mining giant while contributing to the development of the country’s mining industry.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah said the establishment and expansion of Zijin’s presence in Ghana was already an indication of the company’s commitment to the country.
He noted that within about a year, the company had supported a number of government initiatives, including the reclamation of degraded mining lands, afforestation programmes, health projects and education interventions.
“This clearly shows that the company has a commitment to stay in Ghana. We think you should do more,” he told the Zijin leadership.
The Minister said Ghana’s relatively mature mining industry, experience in mineral production and strategic position in West Africa provided a strong foundation for international mining companies seeking to expand across the continent.
He, therefore, encouraged Zijin to deepen its Ghanaian operations and use the country as a base from which to explore opportunities in other African jurisdictions. He said government was prepared to facilitate a relationship that would enable the company to expand its investment while ensuring that Ghana derived maximum value from its natural resources.
Minister impressed by Zijin model
The Minister’s appeal to Zijin came against the backdrop of his tour of the company’s Zijinshan Open-pit Gold and Copper Mine in Fujian Province.
The tour exposed the Ghanaian delegation to a mining model that combines mineral extraction with environmental restoration, infrastructure development, biodiversity conservation and eco-tourism.
The mine has incorporated a national mine park featuring a botanical garden, tea garden, fruit garden and ecological farm, all developed partly from reclaimed mining land.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah described the model as one Ghanaian mining companies could learn from, particularly in ensuring that mining communities are left with sustainable assets after mineral extraction.
He subsequently challenged mining companies operating in Ghana to make environmental protection, reclamation, water-body conservation and infrastructure development central to their operations. He said the Zijin model demonstrated that mining could coexist with environmental conservation and other economic activities, including tourism.
The Minister said Ghana had been mining for more than a century and, therefore, needed to move towards a new generation of mining in which extraction was accompanied by deliberate efforts to restore degraded landscapes.
Zijin promises robust mining system
Responding to the Minister, Mr Lin Hongfu pledged to build a robust mining system in Ghana as part of Zijin’s global operations. He said the company had significant technical, financial and operational capacity that could be deployed to strengthen its activities in the country.
According to him, Zijin operates an in-house research institute and has a global supply chain and international financial base, with operations extending across 17 countries outside China.
He said the company’s global experience would enable it to introduce international best practices and advanced technologies into its Ghanaian operations.
Mr Lin also disclosed that Zijin intended to introduce electric vehicles into Ghana’s mining sector as part of efforts to reduce emissions and promote more environmentally sustainable mining.
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