Ghana has called for increased Australian investment in its emerging critical minerals sector as it seeks to move away from exporting raw minerals and build domestic industries around its mineral resources.
The Deputy Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, Mr Maxwell Yao Akpene Klu, said Ghana was pursuing a new approach to mining that would prioritise local processing, value addition, job creation and wealth generation.
He made the call at the 2026 Africa Down Under (ADU) Summit in Perth, Australia, where Ghana presented investment opportunities in its minerals sector to mining executives, financiers and policymakers.
Mr Klu said the country was leveraging its position as Africa’s leading gold producer to attract investment into other mineral resources, including lithium, bauxite, iron ore and base metals.
“Our country is not just about extracting resources; we are committed to a paradigm shift in mining, one that moves beyond the dig-and-ship model to a value-added approach for the creation of job and wealth locally,” he said.
He said the era of exporting minerals in their raw state should give way to a system in which more value was created within Ghana before the minerals reached international markets.
Mr Klu said value addition would increase income, reduce waste and create employment, while supporting the country’s broader industrialisation agenda.
He disclosed that Ghana had more than one billion tonnes of iron ore resources and was seeking private-sector partners through the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) to develop the resource.
The objective, he said, was to establish an integrated iron and steel industry covering activities from mining through refining and smelting.
Mr Klu said geological exploration in Ghana remained active, with hundreds of projects targeting gold, lithium, iron ore and other mineral resources.
He said the government was also working to create an attractive investment environment through legal and policy reforms.
According to him, Ghana’s mining industry was anchored by the 1992 Constitution and the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), which was undergoing amendment to create a more progressive framework for the sector.
He added that incentives, including certain waivers for mineral exploration, were also being introduced to support investment.
The Ghanaian delegation at the summit was led by the High Commissioner to Australia, Ms Doris Brese, and Mr Klu, who is responsible for Small-Scale and Industrial Minerals at the Minerals Commission.
Ms Brese told investors that prudent economic management and respect for the rule of law had contributed to Ghana’s attractiveness as an investment destination.
The summit also provided an opportunity for Ghana to highlight its growing interest in critical minerals, which are increasingly important to global energy-transition technologies.
Beyond attracting investment, Mr Klu said Ghana’s strategy was to ensure that mineral development generated greater economic opportunities for citizens through processing, industrialisation and job creation.
The Ghanaian delegation also attended the graduation of two of 25 students benefiting from a Minerals Commission sponsorship programme at Curtin University in Perth.
Eight other beneficiaries are scheduled to graduate in February next year.
The sponsorship programme forms part of efforts by the Minerals Commission to develop the human capital required to support Ghana’s expanding minerals sector.
