Wassa chiefs push for state ownership of Tarkwa Gold Mine as Gold Fields’ leases near expiry

Leaders from the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area are advocating for the state to take ownership of the Tarkwa Gold Mine when Gold Fields Ghana Limited's mining leases expire in April 2027. The current government holds a 10% stake in the mine, while Gold Fields owns 90%. At a general meeting of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council on November 4, 2026, the chiefs highlighted the lack of benefits for host communities due to decades of mining, citing poor roads, inadequate infrastructure, and delayed royalty payments.

The Apinto Divisional Council, which the mine falls under, has also petitioned the government against extending Gold Fields' leases. They are seeking a Ghanaian investor to take over the mine and invest in the surrounding communities. Nana Abena Konadwoa II, the Queen Mother of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, expressed frustration with repeated requests for infrastructure improvements going unaddressed.

She questioned Gold Fields' contributions through community projects, despite the company's profits in 2025 and the first half of 2026.

Nana Abena Konadwoa II also referenced road and hospital projects, an astroturf pitch, and an airport project in Damang following the transfer of that mine to Ghanaian ownership. These projects exemplified the type of investment communities near Tarkwa desire. The Traditional Council's registrar informed the meeting that royalty payments, currently deposited in an account, would be released once a land dispute is resolved.

Tarkwa is one of Ghana's major gold-producing mines, with five mining leases covering approximately 20,825 hectares. Its operations began in the 1930s, with Gold Fields taking over in 1993 and concluding underground mining the following year as open-pit mining expanded.