Ghana Sets 2030 Deadline to End Exports of Unprocessed Minerals

October 23, 2026 | By Semahegn Nigatu

Ghana plans to stop exporting unprocessed minerals by 2030, as President John Dramani Mahama seeks to shift the country’s mining industry towards domestic processing and manufacturing.

Speaking at the opening of the second Mining in Motion Summit in Accra, Mahama said the government would introduce commodity-specific targets, legislation and implementation timelines to ensure more of the value generated from the country’s mineral resources is retained domestically.

“We have already imposed a ban on the export of iron scrap and non-ferrous metals. I have set a clear goal that by 2030 raw minerals must no longer leave our shores,” Mahama said.

He identified bauxite, manganese, iron and lithium among the minerals that should support domestic industrial development rather than leave the country in unprocessed form.

The proposed shift would require investment in processing facilities, infrastructure, technical skills and financing. Mahama said the government would work to establish competitive operating conditions for investors, including predictable regulations, clearly defined institutional responsibilities and faster approval procedures.

Aluminium production is a central part of the plan. Mahama said the government intended to modernise the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) and develop domestic refining capacity to connect Ghana’s bauxite resources with aluminium smelting and downstream manufacturing.

He called for major industrial initiatives to operate under defined responsibilities, measurable milestones and transparent reporting arrangements.

The president also urged mining companies and investors to expand Ghanaian participation beyond support services, calling for local businesses to develop greater ownership, management and technical capabilities across the mineral value chain. These activities include fabrication, laboratory analysis, software engineering and equipment maintenance.

Mahama said the government’s regulatory measures would need to be accompanied by investment in infrastructure, skills development and financing to support domestic processing.

The policy announcement comes as African governments seek to capture more economic value from mineral resources used in industrial production and the energy transition. However, building domestic processing capacity requires substantial capital, reliable infrastructure, technical expertise and access to markets for finished and semi-finished products.

Mahama also called on African countries to implement the African Mining Vision and align their domestic laws with continental frameworks for mineral governance. He urged governments to ratify instruments establishing the African Minerals Development Centre, which is intended to support co-operation on mineral development across the continent.

The Mining in Motion Summit, held under the theme “One Continent. One Voice on Minerals. Aligning Africa’s Mineral Future”, brought together policymakers, mining executives and regional leaders, including Liberia’s Vice-President Jeremiah Kpan Koung.

Source: FSX Business News