President John Dramani Mahama has called for stronger regional cooperation among African countries to accelerate domestic mineral processing and ensure the continent derives greater value from its natural resources.
Speaking at the Mining in Motion Conference 2026 in Accra on Monday, President Mahama said Ghana’s efforts to process its minerals locally would yield greater results if coordinated with similar initiatives in neighbouring countries.
He identified Agenda 2063, the African Mining Vision and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as key frameworks for advancing regional collaboration and strengthening Africa’s mineral value chains.
“We must translate these frameworks into coordinated investments, regional infrastructure and larger markets for African producers. As Ghana prepares to assume the chairmanship of the African Union in 2027, we will carry the spirit of the Accra Research into this collective effort,” he said.
The conference was held under the theme, “One Continent, One Voice of Minerals – Aligning Africa’s Mineral Future.”
President Mahama also highlighted the importance of the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC), which was established to oversee the implementation of the Africa Mining Vision.
He urged African Union member states that had yet to ratify the AMDC statutes to do so and deposit their instruments of ratification with the continental body without further delay.
“We must support the AMDC with dependable funding, technical expertise and clear expectations for delivery. It can help our countries share geological knowledge, strengthen negotiating capacity, and develop regional value chains,” he added.
The President further criticised the terms under which African countries had historically negotiated mining agreements, arguing that weak negotiations and the allocation of extensive mineral concessions to foreign interests had deprived the continent of a significant share of the wealth generated from its natural resources.
According to him, these arrangements have contributed to substantial financial outflows from Africa, while resource-rich countries and their communities continue to face poverty and economic hardship.
“This legacy of the colonial era accounted for much of the poverty and suffering experienced across the continent,” he said.
President Mahama’s remarks underscore the need for African countries to move beyond exporting raw minerals towards coordinated investments in local processing, regional infrastructure and value addition to secure greater economic benefits from the continent’s mineral wealth.
