The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ken Ashigbey, says Ghana will continue to depend on foreign investment and technical expertise to fully exploit its mineral resources.

He argues that the scale of Ghana’s mineral wealth is too large to be developed solely by local industry players, making international partnerships necessary for effective extraction and development.

Speaking at a policy dialogue in Accra on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, Ashigbey said the country’s underground gold deposits remain extensive and require significant capital investment to unlock their full value.

“The thing we should bear in mind is that, beyond the things we are mining, there are six gold belts, the six trillions of ounces of gold that are sitting there, and we as Ghanaians alone will not be able to do it; we still need to be able to attract some investors to come and do it,” he said.

The event, themed “To Nationalise or Transform? Rethinking Ghana’s Approach to Mining, Oil, and Critical Minerals,” was organised by JoyNews and brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and governance experts to examine the future of the extractive sector.

The discussions focused on the ongoing debate over whether Ghana should pursue full nationalisation of its natural resources or adopt hybrid models that combine local participation with foreign investment and expertise.

Ashigbey’s comments come amid renewed national conversations on resource ownership and the best approach to managing the country’s mining and energy sectors.

Ghana has been a major gold producer for decades and also holds significant deposits of bauxite and manganese. The country entered the oil production era in 2010 following the start of commercial production from the Jubilee Field.

Attention is now increasingly shifting towards lithium and other critical minerals as Ghana positions itself within the global energy transition and growing demand for battery-related resources.