Addis Ababa: No more raw mineral exports by 2030 — Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana will end the export of raw mineral ores by 2030, insisting that all strategic minerals must be processed locally.

He outlined the policy direction in Addis Ababa ahead of the 39th Ordinary Summit of the African Union, framing it as central to job creation and long-term economic transformation.

“I say by 2030, there are not going to be any raw mineral ores leaving Ghana,” Mr Mahama declared. “You are not going to ship manganese ores out of Ghana raw.”

He extended the directive to other major mineral resources, adding, “You are not going to ship bauxite ore out of Ghana raw. You are not going to ship iron ore out of Ghana raw. You must process all that locally.”

According to him, exporting unprocessed minerals deprives the country of value, industrial growth and employment opportunities for young people.

“That is the only way we can provide opportunities for our young people,” he stated, arguing that value addition remains the surest path to inclusive prosperity.

Mr Mahama linked the mineral policy to broader concerns about youth unemployment and migration pressures across the continent.

“Our young people are not as patient as our generation. They want to see that progress and prosperity today,” he said. “That is why we need to implement in order that we stop our young people from braving the dangers of the Sahara and the Mediterranean to try to get to Europe to look for opportunity.”

He stressed that Africa’s push toward industrialisation should not be viewed with suspicion internationally.

“Africa’s prosperity is not a threat to anybody in this world,” he said. “Africa’s prosperity will consolidate world prosperity, and it will be a positive for this world, not a threat.”

The President positioned the 2030 target as part of a broader restructuring of Ghana’s economic model, where raw material exports give way to domestic processing, manufacturing and technology-driven growth.

If implemented, the policy would mark a decisive break from decades of reliance on primary commodity exports, placing value addition as central to development.