Mining in Ghana: Critical Reflections on the Turbulent Past and Uncertain Future

This chapter critically examines the impact the mining sector has had in Ghana since its independence in 1957. Mining has long played an important role, economically, in Ghana, its fate shaped heavily by the performance of the sector’s activities. But a vibrant mining sector—long dominated by large-scale gold exploration and extraction—has failed to deliver lasting development in the country. There are two reasons for this, the first being the form that mining operations have taken in the country over the past three decades: specifically, sizable resource ‘enclaves’ which, despite producing significant quantities of gold, are, for the most part, disconnected from other areas of the economy. The second reason is the failure to reinvest mine revenues responsibly. After examining more closely why Ghana’s vast mineral wealth has failed to yield positive development outcomes, the chapter reflects on the uncertain future of the country’s mining sector.