{
  "id": 1747687,
  "title": "Ghana must deepen expertise to take ownership of mineral resources – Prof. Mike Oquaye",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/ghana-must-deepen-expertise-to-take-ownership-of-mineral-resources",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T16:08:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/ghana-must-deepen-expertise-to-take-ownership-of-mineral-resources-prof-mike-oquaye/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has urged Ghana to bolster its technical knowledge and involve more local professionals in decisions regarding the country's mineral resources. He believes that Ghana should transcend its reliance on royalties from foreign companies and develop the ability to own and add value to its mineral resources. According to Prof. Oquaye, \"Ghana should also hire its expertise and bring them to the table. If we own the product, then of course we can apply the by-products.\"\n\nSpeaking at the National Mining Dialogue 2026, Prof. Oquaye emphasized that the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), which he is closely associated with, has been actively participating in discussions on Ghana's mineral resources and national asset ownership, irrespective of political affiliations. He reminded successive managers of the nation that the natural resources are not their own but rather belong to the people and that those managing them are, essentially, caretakers.\n\nThe professor stressed the importance of Ghana pursuing greater ownership of its mineral resources, particularly gold, bauxite, and manganese. He criticized the country's current approach of relying heavily on royalties, stating that it has not led to the economic transformation expected. Prof. Oquaye noted that while other countries have reaped significant benefits from the Industrial and technology revolutions, Ghana has remained on the sidelines. \"We have tried the paradigm of royalties. It has lent help to us. There has been Industrial Revolution; we are not part of it as a people. Now we have the technology revolution, we are still not part,\" he said.\n\nConcerned about the high level of youth unemployment, with the Ghana Statistical Service reporting approximately 22%, Prof. Oquaye argued that Ghana's mineral resources could be instrumental in creating industries, jobs, and broader economic opportunities for its citizens. He advocated investing in human capital and technical expertise to enable local professionals to play a more significant role in the mining value chain. \"We from our research believe that is our future. But if we give it to foreigners and take royalties, then of course we will continue to suffer,\" he concluded. Prof. Oquaye urged policymakers to shift their focus towards ownership, local value addition, and the development of industries around the country's mineral resources, rather than relying primarily on royalties from extraction.",
  "summary": "Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has called on Ghana to strengthen its technical expertise and involve more Ghanaian professionals in decisions concerning the country’s mineral resources. According to him, Ghana must move beyond relying on royalties from foreign companies and develop the capacity to own and add value to its mineral resources. […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}