The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has pitched Ghana as the premier destination for ethical and profitable mining investment in Africa.

Addressing the 23rd Africa Down Under Conference in Australia, the minister urged global mining investors to focus on Ghana due to the country’s track record and current status as Africa’s leading producer of gold.

In a stirring speech at Perth on Wednesday, September 4, he highlighted Ghana’s credentials, historic Gold Coast legacy, and the over USD 20 billion accumulated mining investment in the country.

“You can invest in Ghana with confidence, knowing that your investments are protected by a stable political environment and a government that upholds the principles of good governance, including the rule of law and the sanctity of contracts”, the minister stressed — while highlighting Ghana’s three decades of peaceful political transition, making it ‘the beacon of democracy in Africa’.

While acknowledging Ghana’s gold prowess, he also touched on other vast investment opportunities in other critical minerals, which make Ghana a strategic partner for the global clean energy transition.

On bauxite and iron ore, the minister revealed that through the Ghana Integrated Bauxite Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) and the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC), the government is actively seeking private partners to develop integrated industries from mining to refining and smelting, adding that Ghana holds over 1.5 billion tonnes of iron ore resources.

On lithium and base metals, the minister confirmed recent discoveries and highlighted active lithium exploration by Atlantic Lithium Limited and promising geological prospects for cobalt, copper, nickel, and zinc, which are all vital for battery and technology manufacturing.

The minister further underscored that investing in Ghana means accessing a thriving support network of over 200 engineering and service companies and a vibrant landscape of over 500 active exploration projects.

He also emphasised Ghana’s unwavering commitment to a new mining paradigm, stating that “Ghana is not just about extracting resources”.

“We are committed to a paradigm shift… to a value-added approach”, he added.

The minister also articulated the country’s vision of moving the core of the industry from exporting raw materials to building local processing capacity, manufacturing capabilities, and linkages to other sectors of the economy to ensure that mining wealth translates into tangible benefits for the nation and its communities.

Touching on measures to ensure sanity in the country’s mining space, Armah-Kofi Buah also threw light on Ghana’s digital advancements, specifically the Mineral Cadastre Administration System (MCAS), which eliminates bureaucracy and accelerates approvals for mining licenses.

In concluding his presentation, the Minister extended a compelling invitation to the investment community, urging them to make Ghana a priority in their investment decisions.

He called for “partners who understand that mining is not just about extraction but also about transformation and shared value”.