Ghana is intensifying efforts to stop exporting raw gold after signing a new refining agreement that officials say could help the country retain billions in mineral value that has long flowed overseas.
The Ghana Gold Board on Monday, May 25, 2026, signed a gold-refining deal with Royal Ghana Gold Refinery, which authorities described as part of a broader national push to transform the country from a raw mineral exporter into a value-added processing hub in West Africa.
For decades, one of Africa’s largest gold producers exported most of its bullion in raw form, allowing foreign refineries in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, India and Switzerland to capture much of the downstream value from Ghana’s mineral wealth.
Officials now say that the model has cost the country jobs, technical expertise and significant refining revenue.
“When we took office on January 7, 2025, Ghana did not have any functioning gold refinery refining gold locally for export,” Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, said during the signing ceremony.
