The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has thrown his support behind President John Dramani Mahama’s reset agenda, describing the emphasis on local processing of Ghana’s mineral resources as essential to the country’s economic transformation.

He said shifting from the export of raw minerals to domestic processing and value addition would enable Ghana to retain more benefits from its natural resources, notwithstanding the controversies surrounding the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).

Speaking on behalf of the Asantehene at the Mining in Motion Conference on Monday, October 19, Nana Okyere Kusi Ntrama, Essumejahene, said the government’s approach to mineral resource management could help tackle poverty by ensuring the country derives greater value from its mineral wealth.

He explained that President Mahama’s reset agenda, introduced shortly after he assumed office, places emphasis on strengthening Ghana’s control over its natural resources and expanding domestic processing capacity.

According to him, prioritising local production and processing over the export of unprocessed minerals reflects Ghana’s longstanding ambition to use its natural wealth to drive industrialisation.

“Over the past year, the controls of the new agenda have become whatever we make of the minerals in the ground and the government’s mineral policies. Regardless of the controversies surrounding the Gold Board, there should be no doubt that the nature of the President’s reset agenda takes us right back to the very foundation of our republic, when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah sought to harness our minerals and move to establish a gold refinery in Tarkwa,” he said.

Nana Okyere Kusi Ntrama said Ghana’s current mineral policy direction offered an opportunity to advance the industrial vision of the country’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

He stressed that expanding local processing and value addition would allow Ghana to capture a greater share of the economic returns from its mineral resources while supporting industrial growth.

His endorsement comes amid growing calls for Ghana to reduce its dependence on raw commodity exports and prioritise domestic refining, processing and manufacturing to promote sustainable economic development.