The future of the Tarkwa Gold Mine has come under renewed scrutiny after the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council unanimously called on the government to reject any extension of Gold Fields Ghana Limited’s mining leases when they expire in April 2027.
The chiefs are instead pushing to transfer the operation to state ownership and have a local mining contractor manage it, arguing that a change in ownership could bring greater benefits to Ghana and the communities around the mine.
At a meeting of the Traditional Council on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the traditional leaders appealed to President John Dramani Mahama and the government to allow a capable Ghanaian investor to take over the mine.
They argued that despite decades of mining activity in the area, host communities had not received development benefits commensurate with the resources extracted.
Among their concerns were poor roads and infrastructure, inadequate corporate social responsibility projects and delays in the payment of royalties owed to the traditional area.
The demand has also received backing from the Apinto Divisional Council, within whose jurisdiction the mine is located. The council has petitioned the government to deny renewal of Gold Fields’ leases and has advocated transferring the concession to a Ghanaian investor.
Nana Adu Panyin of the Apinto Divisional Council raised concerns about delays in the payment of royalties due to the traditional area.
The Queen Mother of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, Nana Abena Konadwoa II, also expressed disappointment with what she described as Gold Fields’ inadequate contribution to community development.
She pointed to the company’s reported profits in 2025 and the first half of 2026, comparing them with royalties paid and projects undertaken under its corporate social responsibility programme.
Although she did not provide specific figures at the meeting, she argued that the company’s contributions had not matched the scale of its mining activities and financial returns.
Nana Abena Konadwoa II further highlighted the poor condition of roads and other infrastructure in Wassa Fiase, saying repeated appeals for support had failed to produce the expected improvements.
She contrasted the situation with development projects emerging in the Damang enclave following the transfer of the Damang Mine to Ghanaian ownership.
According to her, improvements involving roads, hospitals, an astroturf facility and an airport project demonstrate the potential benefits of indigenous participation in mining operations.
She therefore appealed to President Mahama to support the chiefs’ position and ensure that the Tarkwa mine is transferred to a Ghanaian investor after the current leases expire.
Other traditional leaders, including Nana Kwabena Gyan II, Nana Sompreh, Divisional Chief of Bogoso, and Nana Nteboah Prah, Divisional Chief of Prestea-Heman, also supported the call for indigenous ownership.
Tarkwa mine’s lease expires in April 2027
The Tarkwa Gold Mine is one of Ghana’s major gold-producing operations and is currently operated by Gold Fields Ghana Limited.
The operation covers approximately 20,825 hectares under five mining leases granted on April 18, 1997. The leases are due to expire in April 2027, placing the mine’s future ownership and operations before the government and host communities.
Gold Fields entered the Tarkwa operation in 1993 through a management contract with the government before developing its open-pit mining activities.
In 2011, the company acquired IAMGold’s 18.9 per cent interest in the mine, increasing its stake to 90 per cent, while the Ghanaian government retained a 10 per cent interest.
The operation has since undergone several expansions and changes, including the introduction of a carbon-in-leach processing plant and a return to contractor mining in 2018.
With the lease expiry approaching, the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council is insisting that the next phase of the mine’s operations should place greater emphasis on Ghanaian ownership and development in the surrounding communities.
The chiefs are urging the government to reject a lease renewal for Gold Fields and consider transferring the operation to a capable Ghanaian investor.
