Ghana’s Parliament has approved the long-awaited Ewoyaa lithium project, ratifying a mining lease agreement between the government and Barari DV Ghana Limited.
The decision brings to a close nearly three years of negotiations and political debate over the terms of the deal.
The agreement grants the company a 15-year renewable lease over a 42.63 square kilometre concession at Mankessim in the Mfantseman Municipality, marking a major step in Ghana’s entry into the global green minerals market.
Background to the lithium discovery
The project’s origins date back to 2012, when Barari DV Ghana secured a reconnaissance licence for the Ewoyaa concession. This was upgraded to a prospecting licence in 2018, with subsequent exploration confirming commercially viable lithium deposits.
Following Cabinet approval of a policy framework for green minerals in October 2025, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources renegotiated the lease to align with national laws and international standards before presenting it to Parliament.
Sector Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah told lawmakers that the revised agreement offers improved fiscal terms. “Ghana will get 12% royalties due to the sliding scale legislation that has matured into law,” he said.
Key provisions and expected benefits
Parliament’s Lands and Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Collins Dauda, highlighted several provisions aimed at enhancing state benefits and local participation.
Among them is Ghana’s 13 per cent free carried interest in the project, exceeding the standard 10 per cent stake typically held by the state. The agreement also requires the company to pay all applicable taxes and royalties without exemptions.
In addition, one per cent of annual revenue will be allocated to a Community Development Fund to support infrastructure, health, and education in affected communities.
The project is expected to generate around 1,000 direct jobs, alongside broader indirect employment opportunities, with training programmes planned for local youth.
The agreement includes provisions encouraging value addition within Ghana, including the potential establishment of a processing plant to refine lithium concentrate.
Environmental safeguards have also been incorporated, with strict requirements on land reclamation and restrictions on mining near protected areas.
The company has further committed to exploring logistics solutions, including a possible mini-port facility near Saltpond, to ease transportation challenges.
Minority raises concerns despite approval.
Despite the broad support, the Minority caucus of the New Patriotic Party opposed the ratification, citing concerns over transparency and financial assumptions.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin argued that key details, including revenue projections and safeguards against profit shifting, had not been adequately addressed.
“We… vote en bloc against this agreement… in its current form and shape,” he stated, calling for further scrutiny of what he described as a “generational national resource.”
Despite the opposition, Parliament approved the motion, clearing the way for the development of Ghana’s first large-scale lithium mining project.
The Ewoyaa lithium project is expected to play a strategic role in positioning Ghana within the global clean energy value chain, as demand for lithium continues to rise in battery and renewable energy technologies.
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