Big players in the global and African mining industry converged in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, on Wednesday for the three-day West Africa Mining and Power Expo (WAMPEX 2026), themed “How Can Responsible Mining and Power Accelerate West Africa’s Sustainable Development?”
The Ghana Chamber of Mines hosts the 19th WAMPEX, which began in 1994. In attendance are exhibitors from 20 countries, including Ghana, China, South Africa, India, Türkiye, Australia, Germany, France, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
Ghana’s Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah said during the opening that Ghana’s ambition in mining now goes beyond simply maintaining its position as the leader of gold production in Africa.
Buah said Ghana wants to change how mining is done by focusing on creating value instead of just relying on its natural resources, looking at success in terms of how mining helps industry, creates jobs, involves local people, and improves lives while meeting high environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.
The center of this transformation, the minister said, is a whole program of policies and institutional reforms, championed by the government through broader stakeholder consultations.
“We are overhauling our regulatory and legal frameworks to reflect emerging realities, including involving ESG standards, technological change, and the need for inclusive growth,” Buah stated.
He added that the country’s objectives are clear, “to maintain investor confidence while ensuring that mining contributes more directly to national development.”
“To our partners and investors, I wish to reaffirm that Ghana remains committed to providing a stable, predictable, fiscal, and legal certainty and transparent environment for investment. So, forget about all the noise you’re hearing; you are hearing it from me. That is government policy; that is what we are focused on,” the minister assured.
Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Development Minister, Oladele Henry (Dele) Alake, said a global shift toward clean energy technologies, electric mobility, digital infrastructure, and sustainable industrial systems has dramatically increased demand for critical minerals, many of which are abundantly available in Africa, particularly within West Africa.
“This moment is a unique chance for our region to change from just being a supplier of raw materials to actively taking part in global markets by using responsible mining, processing resources locally, integrating industries in the region, and developing energy strategically,” Aladele pointed out. Enditem