President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana’s mining sector must be transformed to ensure that communities hosting mining operations benefit meaningfully and are left better off after mineral resources have been extracted.

He said mining should not come at the cost of livelihoods, environmental safety, or long-term development in mining areas.

“Mining must leave our communities better than it found them,” the President stressed.

President Mahama made these remarks while speaking at the 2026 Local Content Summit held in Takoradi in the Western Region on Wednesday, February 18.

As part of efforts to deepen local participation in the extractive industry, President Mahama said the government will encourage and support indigenous Ghanaian companies to scale up from subcontracting roles into full ownership of world-class mining operations.

He cited the ongoing development of the Black Volta Gold Project by the Ghanaian-owned Engineers and Planners Limited as a major milestone.

“This is the first mining project of such scale being undertaken by a wholly owned Ghanaian company,” he noted.

According to the President, once operational, the project is expected to produce about 170,000 ounces of gold annually, with a projected mine life of more than 15 years.

President Mahama stressed that local content must go hand in hand with responsible and community-centered mining.

He said the government is strengthening development agreements and improving community engagement under the revised Minerals and Mining Framework.

Traditional authorities and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), he added, will continue to play a decisive role in monitoring compliance and safeguarding community interests.

The President also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to combating illegal gold mining, popularly known as galamsey, while working to formalise the artisanal and small-scale mining sector.

“We will increase our efforts to clean our water bodies and reclaim lands that have been mined out,” he said.

President Mahama also called for collective action, stressing that government alone cannot achieve the needed transformation in the mining sector.