Ghana won’t back down on mining value addition – Ambassador Kojo Bonsu

Ghana’s Ambassador to China, His Excellency Kojo Bonsu, has reiterated the government’s commitment to working with investors who are willing to embrace the policy direction of President John Dramani Mahama on value addition to Ghana’s mineral resources.

“The government’s policy is now firmly oriented towards local beneficiation, such as refining bauxite to alumina integration or the development of detailed processing capacity,” he said.

Addressing the investor community at this year’s China Mining Conference in Tianjin, China, on Friday, September 11, 2026, he underscored the importance of value addition in resource management.

According to the Ambassador, Ghana had made a deliberate choice to move away from exporting raw minerals and importing finished products at higher costs.

“Ghana has made a clear and deliberate choice that we will no longer be content to explore raw ore and import back finished products at higher prices. It is not good,” he remarked.

Consequently, the Ambassador explained the government’s current resource development strategy.

“We are building frameworks, infrastructure, and the incentives to give more value, more skills and more jobs.”

He noted that the administration of President John Dramani Mahama was not only reshaping the mining industry but also seeking to rewrite the broader narrative surrounding the exploitation and utilisation of Ghana’s mineral resources.

For him, the administration was pursuing:
“A government that doesn’t see mining as an extractive afterthought but as a central pillar of our utilisation agenda under our unified national development priorities.”

The Ambassador, who is credited by Ghanaians for his role in the rebranding of Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL), the construction of the Kejetia Market in Kumasi and other major infrastructure projects in the country, described China as a worthy bilateral partner.

“China has been and remains Ghana’s significant partner on infrastructure, trade, and increasingly in the mining and minerals value chain.”

He told the Chinese investment community:
“We are therefore here to present opportunities. Listen, negotiate, and build partnerships that are genuinely mutual and grounded in fair terms.”

He called for technology transfer, local content development and shared prosperity among the business communities of Ghana and China as the two countries continued to pursue their mutual interest in building stronger partnerships.

In addition, Ambassador Kojo Bonsu appealed for a transparent and improving regulatory environment, a skilled and youthful workforce, and a government that sees mining as a catalyst for development.

Ghana’s Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who was the Guest Speaker at the Ghana Forum, touched on a number of issues currently confronting the mining sector.

These, he said, included gaps in geological information, which were affecting the search for mineral resources.

The Minister also mentioned regulatory reforms and the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), among other measures, to deal decisively with illegal mining operations in Ghana.

He said cooperative mining and the introduction of medium-scale mining were also being pursued by the government as part of efforts to promote value addition to Ghana’s mineral resources.