The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, has given compelling reasons why Ghana is the safest destination for investment in Africa.
Addressing the annual Australia-African mining conference in Perth, Australia, Minister
Armah Buah told the investors that Ghana needs no introduction when it comes to mining.
According to him, the country has always been synonymous with gold and that it was once called Gold Coast.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources reiterated that Ghana is proudly Africa’s leading gold producer.
But we have only just scratched the surface. The data is clear, the geology is proven and the potential for new and world-class discoveries has never been greater.
Ghana remains a premier destination for high returns on exploration investment”, Minister Armah Buah told the investors.
“I can assure you that you can invest in Ghana with confidence, knowing that your investments are protected by a stable political environment and a government that upholds the principles of good governance, including the rule of law and the sanctity of contracts”.
The minister also assured the forum that investing in Ghana would be a sound decision because the country has an improved business climate, with comprehensive regulatory and legal reforms designed to streamline bureaucracy, reduce operational hurdles, enhance transparency and improve operational costs.
A key example, he mentioned, was the modernisation of the Mineral Licensing System through the Minerals Cadastre Administration System (MCAS) — a transparent, online
platform that simplifies licensing and accelerates approvals.
Secondly, he cited the Ministry’s recently concluded transparent audit of all small-scale licenses in the system and that, “we are replicating the same for large-scale licenses. The goal is to ensure compliance and to improve workflows”.
Industrial minerals, Minister Armah Buah continued, underpins Ghana’s infrastructure growth, with over 110 licensed quarry operations extracting clay, feldspar, limestone, granite, sand and salt across the country.
He revealed to the investors that top mining companies like Newmont, Goldfields, AngloGold Ashanti and Zinjin have invested in Ghana and that it is time Australian investors also followed suit.
The lands and Natural Resources minister further told the investors that exploration remained vibrant, with over 500 active projects targeting gold, lithium, iron ore and bauxite among other commodities.
Additionally, geological investigations have also confirmed viable prospects for iron ore, nickel, zinc, chromium and lead, all of which were resources critical to the global energy transition.
Walking the investors through some of the key opportunities for their consideration, the Minister listed bauxite and iron ore resources which have a deposit of over 1.5 billion tones.
According to him, his outfit would welcome proposals from the private sector to partner the government in exploring these resources to create socio-economic value.
He revealed that Ghana’s mining sector had already attracted approximately US$20 billion in investments over the past two decades.
The Minister assured the investors that Ghana remained firmly anchored in the rule of law, which underpins her democratic governance and economic stability.“We offer a predictable and secure environment where rights are upheld regardless of political shifts, earning Ghana its reputation as a beacon of democracy in Africa”.
That aside, Ghana also has strong institutions that provide effective policy oversight, regulation, enforcement, and compliance along the entire value chain.
“But my friends, let’s be very clear – Ghana is not just about extracting resources. We are committed to a paradigm shift in mining — one that moves beyond the colonial “dig and ship” model to a value-added approach”.
In line with that, Minister told the conference government was pursuing several key initiatives to achieve its vision of mining as a catalyst for sustainable development.
