The construction of Ghana's first manganese refinery is set to commence this August, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources has announced.

The project will be spearheaded by Ningxia Tianyuan Manganese Industry Group Company Limited, the parent company of Ghana Manganese Company (GMC).

Speaking at the official opening of the 17th edition of the West African Mining and Power Conference and Exhibition (WAMPOC/WAMPEX) on Wednesday, June 5, in Accra, Mr Jinapor said: “…To ensure that Ghanaians, who are, by our national Constitution, the owners of our mineral resources, benefit fully from these resources, we are putting in place measures to promote beneficiation and value addition, as well as local content and local participation in the sector.”

“We have, therefore, through a public-private partnership, constructed a 400kg capacity gold refinery to refine the gold we produce, and work on a US$450 million manganese refinery will start in August,” the minister said. 

For his part, the president of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr Michael Edem Akafia, said events such as WAMPOC/WAMPEX have a 40% conversion rate for turning prospects into deals. 

“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all our sponsors, partners, and participants for their unwavering support and commitment to making this event a success. Your contributions are instrumental in creating a platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing and collaboration essential for advancement and growth. Please join me in thanking and applauding them.” 

“I encourage all of you to actively participate in the sessions, engage in the networking discussions and seize the opportunities presented by this conference to contribute to the sustainable development of mining and power in West Africa. Past participants can attest to the lasting benefits from previous WAMPOC/WAMPEX events,” Mr Akafia added. 

This year’s forum is on the theme, “The Mining and Power Hub: Driving Sustainable Investment Opportunities“