Ghana is considering placing a permanent ban on the export of raw minerals, President John Dramani Mahama has said.
In his address at the African Union Assembly of Heads of State on Saturday, Mahama declared that Ghana would discontinue the shipping of unprocessed manganese, bauxite, or iron ore abroad by 2030.
“I say by 2030, there won’t be any raw mineral ores leaving Ghana. You’re not going to ship raw manganese ore out of Ghana. You’re not going to ship raw bauxite ore out of Ghana. You’re not going to ship raw iron ore out of Ghana. You must process all that locally,” he stated emphatically.
The announcement forms part of the president’s “Accra Reset” initiative, which seeks to promote value addition, industrialisation, and resource sovereignty across Africa.
Mahama argued that exporting raw materials deprives Ghana of jobs, revenue, and technological development. By mandating local processing, the government aims to stimulate industrial growth, create employment for young people, and retain greater economic value within the country.
He linked the urgency of industrial transformation to Africa’s growing youth population and the migration crisis.
“That is the only way we can provide opportunities for our young people. Our young people are less patient than our generation. They want to see that progress and prosperity today,” he said.
Mahama warned that continued delays in implementing reforms risk driving more young Africans to undertake dangerous journeys across the Sahara and Mediterranean in search of better opportunities.
Calling for immediate action, he proposed forming a “coalition of the willing” among African states ready to implement bold reforms without waiting for continent-wide consensus.
“We come with the decisions. We agree. We do the frameworks. What is missing is urgency and implementation. We take time. And we behave like time is waiting for us,” he said.