Ghana Touts Reforms, Stability at Mining Indaba 2026
Ghana has used the 2026 Mining Indaba to reinforce its standing as Africa’s leading gold producer and a prime destination for mining investment, with officials outlining reforms aimed at deepening transparency, regulatory certainty and long-term sector growth.
Speaking at the high-level global mining conference, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, positioned Ghana as a dependable jurisdiction for capital in an era of heightened investor scrutiny.
“Ghana is the most attractive mining jurisdiction in Africa,” he declared, assuring investors that the country offers “a predictable legal and political environment where contracts are respected and investments are protected, regardless of changes in government.”
The Minister emphasised that policy continuity and respect for contractual obligations remain central to government’s approach, particularly under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration. He pointed to Ghana’s established legal framework and stable democratic governance as key differentiators within the sub-region.
Ghana currently ranks as Africa’s largest gold producer and the sixth largest in the world. Beyond gold, the country holds commercially viable deposits of bauxite, manganese, diamonds, iron ore, cobalt, nickel and other critical minerals that are increasingly vital to global energy transition supply chains.
Officials also highlighted Ghana’s strategic advantage as host of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which provides mining investors with preferential access to a continental market of more than 1.3 billion people.
According to Hon. Kofi-Buah, the sector’s attractiveness is underpinned by strong institutional oversight and a suite of investor-focused incentives, including stability agreements, capital allowances and tax concessions designed to enhance project viability.
“The sector has attracted more than US$20 billion in investment over the past two decades, with nineteen large-scale mining companies currently operating in the country,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Mr Isaac Tandoh, reaffirmed the regulator’s commitment to maintaining a transparent, efficient and secure licensing regime. He noted ongoing efforts to safeguard mineral titles and expand access to geological data to support exploration and reduce investor risk.
From the industry’s perspective, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr Ken Ashigbey, stressed the private sector’s resolve to align profitability with sustainability. He cited the Responsible Mining Agenda and continued investment in mining education as evidence of the industry’s commitment to responsible extraction and long-term value creation.
Collectively, government, regulators and industry leaders projected a coordinated vision centred on modernisation, regulatory certainty and sustainable growth. The message from Indaba was clear: Ghana intends to consolidate its leadership in gold production while positioning itself as a stable, responsible and forward-looking mining jurisdiction capable of attracting the next wave of capital into Africa’s extractive sector.
