Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has backed calls for greater Ghanaian ownership of the country’s mineral resources as Engineers and Planners (E&P), BCM International, and Vortex Resources compete for the right to operate the Damang Gold Mine.
Ghana is currently assessing the three local bids after deciding not to renew Gold Fields’ lease, with the Minerals Commission saying the mine could require between 600 million and one billion dollars to revive.
Mrs Sophia Akuffo, speaking as a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra, says Ghana must use the expiry of mining leases and strong mineral prices as an opportunity to reset its resource governance model in favour of national benefit.
She argues that asserting sovereignty over mineral resources does not scare away investors but rather changes the terms of engagement to favour national development. She has also maintained that Ghana has the expertise to reclaim stronger control over its natural resources, provided there is political will.
Her position at a press conference in Accra comes as the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has formally opened a tender for the lease and operation of the Damang mine, saying it is seeking a strategic investor with the financial and technical capacity to run the asset after it reverts to government ownership.
The tender notice says bids must be submitted to the Minerals Commission by March 31, 2026.
Reuters reports that Engineers and Planners, which has worked as a contractor at Damang for about 25 years, is seen as a strong contender in the process.
The government’s decision to take back control of the mine followed concerns over the absence of declared verifiable reserves, in what officials describe as a broader effort to ensure Ghana derives greater value from its mineral wealth.
But the process is already attracting political scrutiny.
The Minority in Parliament has raised conflict-of-interest concerns over Ibrahim Mahama’s reported interest in the Damang bid, arguing that the issue raises constitutional and ethical questions because of his relationship to President John Mahama.
Still, supporters of a stronger local participation model say the Damang transition presents a major test of whether Ghana can convert resource nationalism into practical ownership, operational control and long-term value retention for the country. That broader argument is at the heart of Sophia Akuffo’s intervention, which reinforces growing pressure for a mining regime that gives Ghanaians a larger stake in the country’s extractive wealth.
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