MLNR-PR UPDATES
The opening of Newmont’s Ahafo North Mine, a US$1 billion investment celebrated as a sign of collaboration, advancement, and patriotism on Thursday, October 30, 2025, has marked the beginning of a new chapter in Ghana’s mining history.
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the sector minister, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, and the vice president of the republic, H.E. Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, graced the ceremony, which took place at the mining site in Afrisipakrom in the Ahafo Region.
On behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, H.E. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stated that the project demonstrates the potential of collaboration between the mining communities, the private sector, and the government. She disclosed that Ghana’s gold sector continues to be a major engine of growth, with its GDP contribution rising from GH₵11.7 billion in 2023 to GH₵17.7 billion in 2024. By August of this year, she added, gold exports had risen to an astounding US$8 billion.
Ghana is no longer only another nation that produces gold, she said. “We are number one in Africa and sixth in the world.”
Newmont’s longstanding cooperation with Ghana and its involvement in bolstering local businesses, infrastructure, and jobs were praised by the vice president.
“The kind of partnership we must champion, one built on shared vision and mutual respect,” she said, praising the company’s pledge to finance the restoration of the 46-kilometer Sunyani–Ntotroso–Akyerensua route.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was also thanked by H.E. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang for his leadership in addressing community issues and maintaining harmony throughout the project’s development.
Looking ahead, she stated that Ghana has to go from extracting gold to adding value.
“We must shift from exporting raw materials to building industries that process and refine them, that is how we create high-value jobs and lasting prosperity.” she stated.
Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (MP) hailed the mine in his remarks as a “symbol of responsible stewardship” that embodies the country’s values of inclusivity and shared wealth, rather than merely an infrastructure project.
He emphasised that thousands of employment and more prospects for local businesses are anticipated as a result of the mine, which was constructed with considerable Ghanaian experience.
He declared, “We are open for business, but only to partnerships that respect our resources, our people, and our environment.” With the government’s emphasis on empowering Ghanaian companies and local content,
To guarantee that local, indigenous Ghanaian firms have an equitable chance to develop and increase their commercial potential, Hon. Buah reaffirmed that the current restrictions on contract mining be strictly adhered to.
The Minister also disclosed that negotiations between the government and Newmont to establish a collaboration under the prime initiative Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Program (rCOMSDEP) are progressing.
“This is a bold step towards inclusive growth, where small-scale and large-scale miners can coexist responsibly,” he said.
In an effort to provide sustainable alternatives to illicit mining, Newmont will release a portion of its concession for small-scale, controlled, and responsible mining operations within its host communities.
“The true success of this mine will not be in the gold it produces, but in the lives it transforms,” he said as he concluded with a patriotic call.
He also stated that the extraction of mineral resources should, as a fundamental principle, always be used for the benefit of the country and be converted into infrastructure improvements that benefit all Ghanaians, not just a few.
After the Ahafo South and Subika underground mines, Newmont’s most recent project in the area is the Ahafo North Mine, which is expected to greatly increase the company’s gold output in Ghana.
Source: newsthemegh.com