Fronting fueling illegal mining, sector distortions – Minerals Commission CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Andrews Tandoh, has identified fronting as a major driver of persistent challenges in Ghana’s mining sector, including illegal mining activities.

Speaking at the Local Content Summit 2026, Tandoh said the practice—where foreign interests operate behind Ghanaian identities to secure licences and mineral rights—continues to undermine regulatory enforcement and distort the objectives of the country’s local content policy.

According to him, although Ghana’s laws are designed to prioritise indigenous participation in the mining value chain, some foreign entities still retain effective control and reap the financial benefits while using Ghanaians as nominal shareholders or directors.

Mr. Tandoh stressed that this arrangement weakens accountability and complicates efforts to sanitise the sector, particularly in the fight against illegal mining. He noted that fronting not only sidelines genuine Ghanaian entrepreneurs but also creates loopholes that enable regulatory evasion.

He further observed that in many instances, Ghanaians hold minimal equity in projects operating within their own communities, while long-term lease agreements continue to lock national resources into structures that deliver limited lasting value.

“Employment is not the same as ownership,” Tandoh emphasised, underscoring the need for real equity participation and decision-making power for Ghanaians.

He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to tightening enforcement, strengthening local content regulations, and ensuring that mining becomes a vehicle for inclusive economic growth rather than an enclave dominated by concealed foreign control.

The Minerals Commission, he assured, will continue to review licensing processes and clamp down on any arrangement that undermines transparency and genuine local participation in the sector.

By Beatrice Senadju Boateng