Ing Ken Ashigbey
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ing. Ken Ashigbey, has welcomed assurances from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, that government does not have a blanket policy of nationalising mining assets.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a breakfast meeting organised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines in collaboration with the Ministry in Accra on Monday, 25 May, Ashigbey said the clarification helps to address growing public debate and uncertainty in the sector.
He noted that it was reassuring to hear the Minister restate government’s commitment to attracting investment while ensuring that mining activities deliver value to Ghana through capacity building, knowledge transfer, and local participation.
“It is important to hear the government’s position on a lot of these things that have been said. It is reassuring to hear the Minister talk about the fact that government’s policy is not about nationalisation, but about still attracting investors who will come into this country and ensure that once they get their return on investment, they also leave value, build capacity and transfer knowledge,” he said.
Ashigbey stressed that these objectives align with the position of the Chamber of Mines, which supports a partnership-driven approach to maximising benefits from Ghana’s natural resources.
He argued that Ghana’s mining sector can best thrive through collaboration between indigenous and foreign investors, noting that local players must be supported to grow into global mining champions.
“We also believe that indigenous Ghanaian investors can coexist and partner with foreign and multinational investors. The local champions we are creating today are tomorrow’s multinationals,” he said.
He further cautioned that ensuring security of tenure and policy stability is critical to attracting investment and enabling Ghanaian firms to expand beyond the country’s borders in future.
Ashigbey also referenced ongoing collaboration between the industry and regulators on issues such as contract mining and local content development, adding that the sector has already made progress in promoting Ghanaian participation in mining-related services.
He cited examples from the energy sector to illustrate how local firms have grown through private initiative and industry collaboration, rather than strict regulatory imposition.
