ACCRA, Ghana — Ghana plans to ban the export of unprocessed minerals by 2030 to strengthen domestic processing, increase revenue from its natural resources and speed up industrialisation.
President John Dramani Mahama disclosed the Ghana mineral export ban on Monday, October 19, 2026, while addressing the Mining in Motion Summit in Accra.
The plan comes less than two months after Ghana, Africa’s largest gold producer, prohibited the export of unrefined gold doré bought under approved artisanal and small-scale mining offtake arrangements.
Mahama outlines the 2030 mineral export ban
Mahama said the government intends to move away from exporting raw mineral resources towards industries that can process them into higher-value products. He said he had set a clear goal that by 2030, “raw minerals should no longer leave our shores.”
He listed bauxite, manganese, iron, lithium and other minerals as resources that must support processing and industrial development at home. Mining companies seeking access to Ghana’s deposits should expect to invest in domestic processing, with those obligations written into mineral agreements.
The policy would affect manganese, which is widely used in steel production and in batteries. Ghana is the world’s third-largest manganese exporter, with about 10% of global mined supply, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Gold doré export ban and other restrictions
The plan builds on the gold doré export ban that took effect on September 1, 2026. Under a directive from the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), licensed self-financing aggregators must ensure that gold bought through approved offtakers is refined at designated facilities in Ghana before export.
Ghana has also restricted exports of iron scrap and non-ferrous metals to keep more raw materials for domestic industry.
Kanyi Daily reports that Ghana is not alone. Other mineral-rich African countries are introducing similar measures to reduce dependence on raw exports:
- Guinea is considering restrictions on bauxite exports.
- Zimbabwe is moving to prohibit exports of lithium concentrate.
- The Democratic Republic of Congo has limited cobalt exports to regulate supply.
- Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali and Ivory Coast have built gold refineries or announced plans to build them.
Ghana’s mining royalty framework and gold purchases
Beyond export curbs, Ghana is changing how much value it keeps from minerals. On July 1, 2026, GoldBod began buying 30% of the gold produced by large-scale miners under an agreement with the Ghana Chamber of Mines, replacing an earlier target of 20% of annual production.
The country has also introduced a price-linked mining royalty framework that lets the government collect more when mineral prices rise. Gold producers pay royalties of 5% to 12%, with the highest rate applying when international gold prices reach about $4,500 an ounce.
Together, the measures reflect a wider African shift towards building domestic mineral value chains and capturing a bigger share of the benefits from the continent’s natural resources.
