Ghana: Lands Minister declares zero tolerance for fronting in mining sector

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has issued a stern warning against the growing practice of foreign companies hiding behind Ghanaian fronts to access opportunities in the mining sector, declaring that the government will not tolerate any arrangement that undermines genuine local participation.

Addressing stakeholders at a high-level mining forum during the maiden Local Content Summit 2026, the Minister described fronting as “a theft of opportunity” that betrays the national interest and defeats the purpose of Ghana’s Local Content agenda.

Speaking plainly,  Armah-Kofi Buah delivered his strongest caution yet: “We frown on, and we will not condone, any form of fronting using Ghanaians.”

He urged citizens not to mortgage their future for short-term gain, declaring, “Don’t sell your birthright when you can own the bakery.” He said true empowerment lies in ownership, capacity, and long-term value creation—not in lending names to hollow arrangements that strip Ghanaians of control and benefits.

Buah praised the convergence of industry leaders and professionals, noting that the forum reflected renewed national resolve under the President’s Reset Agenda to ensure that Ghanaians own, participate in, and benefit meaningfully from the country’s mineral wealth.

Reflecting on more than a century of mining, the Lands Minister observed that despite Ghana’s vast mineral endowments and the sector’s contribution of about 43 percent of merchandise exports, mining has largely functioned as an enclave economy.

He lamented that local businesses still capture less than 40 percent of procurement spending, while high-value services remain predominantly foreign-controlled. He insisted that the time has come to close that gap through deliberate partnerships, technology transfer, and equity participation for Ghanaians.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Isaac Andrews Tandoh, described fronting as a root cause of persistent challenges in the sector, including illegal mining. He noted that foreign interests still retain control and benefits while hiding behind Ghanaian identities.

He explained that Ghanaians hold minimal equity in projects on their own soil, and long-term leases continue to lock national resources into arrangements that yield little lasting community value.

“Employment is not the same as ownership,” he stressed.

Mr. Tandoh further outlined decisive reforms undertaken over the past year, including the revocation of more than 300 fraudulently acquired licences, the activation of District Mining Committees, a comprehensive overhaul of mining laws and policies, and the tightening of local content rules.

He affirmed the Commission’s readiness to enforce the law without fear or favour, partner with genuine investors, support capable Ghanaian entrepreneurs, and confront all forms of fronting and regulatory evasion to ensure that mining becomes a true engine of inclusive national development.

The Local Content Summit is a two-day programme taking place from Wednesday, February 18–19, 2026, on the theme: “Strengthening Local Content and Indigenisation: Building a Resilient Mining Sector in Ghana.”