with the aim of extracting more value from the country's natural resources and promoting domestic industrialization. Ghana is the largest gold producer in Africa.
On Monday, October 19th, Ghanaian President John Mahama said: "I have set a clear goal: by 2030, raw minerals should no longer leave our coasts. Our bauxite, manganese, iron, lithium and other minerals must support domestic processing and industrial development."
Mahama said that the government will phase out the export of raw ores with the support of legislation, specific mineral requirements and a clear implementation timetable.
Ghana has already banned the export of scrap iron and non-ferrous metals, as well as raw gold produced by artisanal and small-scale miners.
These measures are part of a broader effort by African governments to promote domestic mineral processing, enabling them to export higher-value products and gain greater influence in markets as key suppliers. Guinea is considering restricting the transportation of bauxite, Zimbabwe is banning the export of lithium concentrate, and the Democratic Republic of Congo has imposed strict limits on the amount of cobalt that can leave the country. Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali and Côte d'Ivoire have built or plan to build gold refineries.
"Investors must understand the processing obligations related to accessing our resources," Mahama said, and these requirements should be reflected in mineral agreements and the value chains of African countries' development.
Ghana is one of the world's largest gold producers, with international companies such as AngloGold Ashanti Plc, Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. and Gold Fields Ltd. operating businesses there, which export gold in semi-refined form.
According to data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the country is the third-largest exporter of manganese, accounting for about 10% of the global mining supply. Ghana is also a small producer of bauxite, despite having considerable reserves.
