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ENVIRONMENT

ACEP Urges Strategic Shift to Unlock Billions in Ghana's "Forgotten" Minerals

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has issued a compelling call for the Ghanaian government to pivot its mineral development strategy, moving beyond gold to unlock the vast, untapped potential of industrial and development minerals. The policy think tank advocates for a triad of value addition, policy reforms, and targeted investments to transform this neglected sector.

Date Created : 12/15/2025 : Story Author : Ghanandistricts.com

The call was made by Ms. Maybel Acquaye, Senior Policy Analyst and Monitoring & Evaluation Manager at ACEP, following a capacity-building session for the Parliamentary Press Corps.

Beyond Gold: The Overlooked Engine of Economic Growth

Ms. Acquaye argued that Ghana’s overwhelming focus on precious minerals like gold has led to significant missed economic opportunities. She emphasized that industrial minerals—such as clay, limestone, salt, and silica—are critical yet underutilized assets for national development.

“We are not seeking to replace gold or other precious minerals, but industrial and development minerals also have an important place in the country’s economic development,” she stated. Currently, these resources are relegated to low-value applications, with clay, for instance, used mainly for pottery and flower pots instead of high-value ceramics.

From Raw Export to Value Creation: The Need for Policy & Investment

The ACEP analysis identifies a critical failure to ascend the minerals value chain. “Our studies show that there are far greater opportunities along the value chain. The higher you move up, the more value and economic benefits you are able to generate,” Acquaye explained.

To catalyze this shift, she outlined key requirements:

Deliberate Policy Reforms: Industrial minerals must be treated as a substantive part of the extractive sector in policy discussions, not as secondary resources.

Enhanced Oversight: Strengthening regulatory and fiscal monitoring through modern technology is needed to accurately track production and ensure effective taxation.

Strategic FDI Targeting: Government should channel foreign direct investment away from mere extraction and towards beneficiation, processing, and high-end manufacturing. “Ghana imports most high-value ceramic products despite having the raw materials locally,” Acquaye noted, highlighting a clear market gap.

The High-Value Payoff: Jobs, Revenue, and Industrial Links

Moving up the value chain promises transformative socio-economic benefits, ACEP contends. The current model yields minimal fiscal returns due to the export of low-value raw materials.

“Currently, the direct fiscal take from industrial minerals is low because they are low-value products,” Acquaye said. “But when we move into midstream and downstream activities, we create more jobs, increase tax revenues, and generate wider socio-economic benefits.”

This value-chain-driven approach, she concluded, would dramatically enhance the sector’s contribution to government revenue and cement its role in Ghana’s broader industrial and economic development agenda.

ENVIRONMENT

ACEP Urges Strategic Shift to Unlock Billions in Ghana's "Forgotten" Minerals

Date Created : 12/15/2025 : Story Author : Ghanandistricts.com

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