Senior government officials, regulators, traditional leaders, mining companies, small-scale miners, civil society organisations and media practitioners are expected to meet at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, for the National Mining Dialogue 2026.
The conference is being organised by Semmis DS Group Limited in partnership with Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM.
At the centre of the discussions will be a question that has remained important to many Ghanaians for years: How much of the wealth generated from Ghana’s mineral resources is actually reaching the people and communities closest to mining operations?
Beyond gold and government revenue
Mining remains a major contributor to Ghana’s economy through foreign exchange earnings, taxes, employment and investment.
Gold continues to dominate the sector, but growing interest in minerals such as bauxite, manganese and lithium is also creating opportunities for Ghana to expand its mineral economy and develop related industries.
Yet, for many communities hosting mining activities, the benefits can sometimes appear far removed from the wealth generated from the resources extracted from their lands.
Concerns over environmental damage, land disputes, displacement, unemployment and limited opportunities for local businesses have continued to shape public discussions about mining.
The National Mining Dialogue is therefore expected to focus heavily on how mining can produce more lasting benefits for communities rather than concentrating discussions only on national economic gains.
Local businesses and jobs under scrutiny
One of the major areas expected to receive attention is local content and local participation.
Stakeholders will examine the extent to which mining companies procure goods and services from Ghanaian businesses, employ local workers and develop skills that can remain useful to the economy beyond individual mining projects.
The discussions are also expected to consider whether local content policies are producing tangible benefits for communities around mining concessions.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will form part of that conversation.
Rather than viewing CSR only as donations or occasional community projects, participants are expected to discuss how mining companies can plan interventions that deliver measurable and sustainable improvements in areas such as education, employment, healthcare and local economic development.
GoldBod reforms and small-scale mining
The ongoing transformation of Ghana’s gold trading and small-scale mining space is another issue likely to attract considerable attention.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, is among the high-profile speakers expected at the event.
Discussions are expected to cover the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining, gold traceability, responsible sourcing and the regulation of gold purchases.
Small-scale mining supports livelihoods for many Ghanaians, particularly in mining communities. At the same time, the sector has faced persistent concerns around illegal mining, environmental degradation and weaknesses in regulation.
Bringing small-scale miners, licensed gold buyers, aggregators and regulators into the same conversation could provide an opportunity to address some of the practical challenges associated with efforts to formalise the sector.
Issues such as pricing transparency and how more value can remain within Ghana are also expected to feature.
Can Ghana retain more value from its minerals?
The dialogue will also look beyond taxes and royalties to the broader question of value retention.
Participants are expected to examine areas including local procurement, employment and skills development, downstream processing and Ghanaian participation in the ownership and supply chains associated with mining.
National reserve accumulation is also expected to form part of the discussion, particularly in relation to the role of gold in strengthening Ghana’s economic resilience.
The organisers are seeking greater emphasis on specific and measurable commitments from industry players, rather than broad declarations that may be difficult to track after the conference.
Government and regulators to outline direction
The presence of senior officials is expected to give the conference a strong policy dimension. Chief of Staff Dr Julius Debrah and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah are among the officials expected to participate.
Also expected are Minerals Commission Chief Executive Officer Isaac Andrews Tandoh and Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Chief Executive Officer Justina Nelson.
Their participation will allow discussions around regulation, investment, local participation and the broader role of mining in Ghana’s development.GoldBod’s Sammy Gyamfi is expected to provide insight into reforms within the gold trading and small-scale mining sector. Former Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources George Mireku Duker is also listed among the expected speakers.
Traditional authorities and mining communities
Traditional leaders are expected to play an important role in the discussions because mining is closely connected to land, customary authority and community development.
The participation of the Ga Mantse, His Royal Majesty Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, is expected to add a traditional leadership perspective to the national conversation.
Representatives of mining communities, district assemblies, youth groups and women’s organisations are also expected to bring attention to issues that affect people living close to mining operations.
The organisers are considering a proposed “Catchment Charter”, which would serve as a voluntary framework for recording commitments between mining companies and host communities.
The idea is to create a mechanism through which promises relating to community development can be publicly tracked rather than ending with the conclusion of the conference.
Health and social development also on the agenda
Mining communities do not measure development only by the number of jobs created or roads constructed.
Access to healthcare, education, skills training and other social services can also influence whether residents see mining as a positive force in their communities.
The participation of Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), is expected to bring this wider social-development perspective into the discussions.
It reflects an attempt by the organisers to connect mining with the broader wellbeing of communities.
Media expected to track commitments
The media will also have a role to play beyond reporting what happens at the conference.
President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, is among the expected speakers.
The organisers intend to use live broadcasting and digital platforms linked to Ekosii Sen and the Multimedia Group to extend the conversation to members of the public who will not be physically present at the Kempinski Hotel.
That could become particularly important if commitments made by government, regulators and mining companies are followed up after the event.
What happens after August 18?
Perhaps the most important test of the National Mining Dialogue will not be the speeches delivered on the day but what happens afterwards.
The organisers are proposing a conference communiqué containing key commitments and action points, alongside a monitoring framework for tracking implementation.
For mining communities that have heard promises before, the ability to measure whether those commitments are actually delivered could determine the value of the dialogue.
With Ghana seeking to increase the benefits derived from its mineral wealth while addressing environmental, social and regulatory concerns, the August 18 gathering offers stakeholders an opportunity to put specific issues on the table.
The challenge will be turning the conversation into practical changes that can be seen not only in government statistics and mining company reports, but also in the everyday lives of people living in Ghana’s mining communities.
