Category: Daily Guide Network

The nation was divided yesterday when the Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged former Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, setting aside the 10 years’ jail term handed her for stealing and causing GHS93 million financial loss to the state.

The court, in its 94-page judgment on an appeal filed by the ex-John Mahama appointee, held that the prosecution failed to lay sufficient evidence in proving the charges levelled against her.

The court further, without mincing words, criticised their colleague judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, then a High Court judge, for the way she handled the case, stating that she shifted the burden of proof onto the accused rather than the prosecution as the law demands.

The appellate court’s decision expectedly split opinion, with many questioning the court’s reasoning, while others agreed it was proper.

The whereabouts of the GHS93 million the nation is said to have lost through the actions of the accused is one question many observers are demanding answers to.

Although the Attorney General has issued a statement indicating a disagreement with the Court of Appeal’s decision and a desire to pursue the matter at the Supreme Court, there are many who think it is nothing but a ploy to shift attention from the real questions being asked about this government’s promise to fight corruption.

Declared Fugitive

Tamakloe-Attionu had been in the United States since 2021 after failing to return to Ghana to face trial, after she was granted permission by the court to travel for medical checkup. The court had to declare her a fugitive.

She was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in absentia for allegedly bloating contracts and spending part of relief funds meant for victims of the Kantamanto fire outbreak.

Tamakloe-Attionu was also jailed for pocketing an amount of GHS500,000 invested by MASLOC at Obaatanpa Microfinance Company Limited which was returned to MASLOC because of the high interest demanded, but the money never reflected in the accounts of the Centre.

She was arrested and detained in the United States in January 2026, and was subsequently extradited to Ghana after a court found that the information presented to it by the Ghana Government and its US counterpart ‘is competent evidence to establish probable cause that Tamakloe-Attionu committed the crimes with which she is charged and has been convicted.’

An interdicted Operations Manager of MASLOC, Daniel Axim, was also sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for the same offence, for his role in the alleged looting of state funds.

Appeal

Her lawyers filed an appeal arguing that her conviction and sentence for offences including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, improper payment of public funds, money laundering, among others is ‘unreasonable and cannot be supported having regard to the evidence on record.’

The appeal also argued that the High Court erred in convicting Ms. Tamakloe-Attionu on the charges levelled against her, and that the charges were defective.

Decision

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, Justices Emmanuel Ankamah (presiding), Samuel Obeng-Diawuo and Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe, in their decision agreed with Tamakloe-Attionu’s lawyer that the charges levelled against her are ‘incurably deficient’ as they omit an indispensable ingredient of the offence.

Taking the charge of conspiracy to cause financial loss to the state for instance, the court held that the particulars are materially indistinguishable as they do not identify the conduct by which Tamakloe-Attionu and Daniel Axim are alleged to have agreed to act together, the relevant date, nor the specific loss said to have flowed from that agreement.

The court said it was not convinced the accused received the GHS500,000 from Obaatanpa Microfinance Company Limited but did not return same to MASLOC, noting that ‘if receipt of the sum was not proved, dishonest appropriation of that sum could not follow.’

On the allegation of Tamakloe-Attionu stealing GHS1,816,000, notwithstanding that approval had been given for GHS1,706,000.00 for sensitisation and monitoring programmes for selected beneficiaries across Ghana in 2015 and 2016, the court held that the prosecution failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that Tamakloe-Attionu and Axim did not apply the funds to the projects.

‘In requiring the Appellant to demonstrate that the project did occur, the learned trial judge again impermissibly shifted the evidential burden contrary to law and as affirmed in the Ato Forson case,’ the court said.

The court, therefore, held that based on the analysis of the facts and applicable law regarding the offenses of conspiracy to steal and stealing, the convictions and sentences for all counts of conspiracy to steal and stealing against Tamakloe-Attionu must be set aside.

On the charge of money laundering, the court said there was no evidence Tamakloe-Attionu authorised an improper payment of GHS164,038.28 to herself as ex gratia and another GHS109,705.38 to her deputy as ex gratia ‘by deception, misrepresentation, or the presentation of false documentation to the Head of Finance.’

The court, therefore, held that the conviction and sentencing on all the charges including those manifestly defective charges cannot stand, and subsequently acquitted and discharged her.

Mindful Governance has successfully convened the maiden edition of the Company Secretaries’ Summit, a full-day premium gathering that brought together company secretaries, legal counsel, board directors and senior governance professionals from across Ghana’s public, private and state-owned sectors.

Held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra under the theme, ‘Governance as Value Creation’, the summit was designed to elevate the standing of a profession that sits at the very centre of corporate decision-making, yet has long operated without a dedicated national platform of its own.

‘The company secretary sits between the board, management and stakeholders, and sets the conditions in which the most consequential decisions get made, from what reaches the agenda to when it arrives there. That is the level at which these professionals operate, and the summit was built to match it. We brought board directors into the room as well, because the relationship between a board and its company secretary does a great deal to determine whether an organisation succeeds or fails, and the two sides rarely get a setting where they can speak candidly about it,’ said Catherine Engmann, Founder and Managing Director of Mindful Governance.

The morning plenary opened with remarks from The Registrar of Companies, Maame Samma Peprah, Esq., who stated that while artificial intelligence can strengthen compliance monitoring, board administration and regulatory analysis, it cannot replace the professional judgement, ethical leadership and independence that define the company secretary’s role.

‘As organisations adopt new tools such as artificial intelligence, strong governance frameworks will be critical to ensuring innovation is responsible and value-creating,’ she said.

Effective corporate governance, the Registrar said, is a competitive advantage in attracting investment, not merely a legal obligation.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Governance AI, Karl George, MBE, led delegates through a working session on artificial intelligence and its implications for the boardroom.

Mr. George introduced the ‘three A’s’ of AI adoption – automation, augmentation and agency – and issued a pointed warning on ‘shadow AI’, the use of unapproved AI tools by employees on personal devices, which he described as one of the most urgent and least understood risks facing organisations today.

‘Boards cannot effectively govern technologies they do not understand. Building AI literacy among directors and governance professionals is now essential to responsible decision-making,’ he noted.

He urged governance professionals to raise their own AI literacy, arguing that boards cannot responsibly oversee technology they do not understand.

For her part Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei, Esq., Chief Executive Officer of Cyrus Law, challenged the long-held view of governance as a compliance burden.

Governance, she told delegates, is not a handbrake on the organisation but a steering wheel, the mechanism that allows a business to move quickly, navigate difficult corners and arrive safely at its destination.

‘The greatest value of governance lies in creating environments where the right questions are asked, difficult conversations are encouraged and organisations are able to make decisions that stand the test of time,’ she said.

She cautioned that at the root of almost every major corporate failure is a boardroom in which protective voices were silenced, ignored or absent.

Ms. Engmann facilitated the Board Dynamics Mastery plenary, which used the Contribution Compass framework to examine how the differing behavioural profiles around a board table shape the way directors work together.

The convicted Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has launched an appeal against his conviction and 20 years’ imprisonment for permitting others to mine on his company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region without ministerial approval.

A notice of appeal filed by his lawyers at the Court of Appeal by is legal team contend that the conviction is unreasonable and cannot be supported having regard to the evidence adduced at the trial.

Conviction

Chairman Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in hard labour on July 20, 2026, by a High Court presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, after finding him guilty of acts contravening the Minerals and Mining Act of Ghana.

He was also fined GHS120,000 for the offence while his company, Akonta Mining Limited, was fined GHS180,000 for its role in unlawfully assigning the concession to a third party.

Chairman Wontumi was charged with one count of assignment of mineral rights without approval, and another count of purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Section 3 of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).

Justice Kocuvie-Tay noted in her judgment that the agreement between Chairman Wontumi and Henry Okum, the prosecution’s witness who was arrested mining on the concession, was not documented, hence relied on circumstantial evidence to hold that Chairman Wontumi permitted Okum to illegally mine on the concession and use the proceeds to undertake the reclamation.

She said no reasonable evidence existed to rival the conclusion that Chairman Wontumi permitted Henry Okum to reclaim the land with proceeds Okum generated from the illegal mining activities on Akonta Mining’s concession.

The court said evidence in the trial point to the fact that Chairman Wontumi alone was the sole controlling mind and hand of Akonta Mining Limited, therefore making him the de facto mineral rights holder in the concession in question.

Appeal Notice

Chairman Wontumi’s lawyers have filed a notice of appeal against the decision, the conviction and sentencing, arguing that the evidence led by the prosecution do not support the same.

They contend that the trial judge erred in holding that Akonta Mining Limited’s mere permission to Okum to reclaim the Samreboi concession area on its behalf requires ministerial approval within the meaning of Section 14(1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended.

‘Equating a mere permission to enter and undertake reclamation works with a transfer, assignment, mortgage, encumbrance or other disposition of a mineral right is a wrong interpretation of Section 14(1) of Act 703 as amended,’ the notice of appeal argues.

It further contends that the trial judge erred in law by concluding that the circumstantial evidence on record irresistibly led to one conclusion that Chairman Wontumi permitted Okum to undertake a mining operation on the concession of Akonta Mining Limited.

‘Where there are no inculpatory facts incompatible with the innocence of the accused and incapable of explanation upon any reasonable hypothesis other than that of guilt, circumstantial evidence cannot be applied.’

Again, the lawyers argue that the trial judge erred in law in holding that Chairman Wontumi was the true and de facto mineral rights holder in the Samreboi concession when exhibits before the court unequivocally established that the mineral rights belonged exclusively to the company.

They further contend that the judge erred in law by lifting the corporate veil of Akonta Mining without any legal basis, arguing that ‘in a criminal case where a Court makes a finding of fact that a director of a company is one and the same as the Company, the proof must be beyond reasonable doubt.’

It is also their contention that the judge failed to fairly and impartially evaluate the defence evidence when she rejected the defence on the basis of perceived improbabilities instead of weighing the evidence against the prosecution’s burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

This, they contend, occasioned a substantial miscarriage of justice on Chairman Wontumi and his company.

They add that the sentences on the counts against the convicts were inordinately harsh and excessive based on the principles of law undergirding sentencing as well as the evidence adduced.

The lawyers are therefore asking the Court of Appeal to set aside the decision of the trial court and acquit and discharge Chairman Wontumi and his company on all charges.

Fitch Solutions, the research arm of global credit ratings agency Fitch, has projected the country’s inflation to rise by 9% by the end of 2026 despite the cedi’s strong performance in recent times

Associate Director at Fitch Solutions, Mike Kruiniger, who made the projection during PwC Ghana’s webinar on the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review said the expected increase will largely be driven by renewed pressure on the Ghana cedi.

According to the Associate Director, the sharp decline in inflation in recent months has been largely supported by the cedi’s strong performance however, he indicated that the projection is based on the new stance by the Bank of Ghana

‘Now, based on the new stance of the Bank of Ghana, in the coming months, we don’t expect the cedi to stabilise strongly,’ he stated.

Fitch also believes this will be driven by stronger domestic demand, mounting imported inflation as the cedi weakens on a year-on-year basis as well as higher food prices linked to El Niño-related weather disruptions adding that it will rise further to 13.2% by the end of 2027.

Mr. Kruiniger also said Ghana remains relatively insulated from the ongoing US-Iran conflict, supported by elevated gold prices which will continue to provide a strong external buffer, coupled with the country’s broadly balanced energy trade position while maintaining a positive outlook for the country’s economy despite concerns about inflation.

Technical Advisor to the Finance Minister, Dr. Theo Acheampong, said the Ministry of Finance still expects inflation to end 2026 within its target range of 8%, plus or minus 2 percentage points.

He said the projection is based on several scenarios and economic assessments undertaken by the ministry and also assured the public that the government is committed to fiscal discipline to sustain the current macroeconomic gains.

Fitch Solutions’ forecast is significantly higher than Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s latest projection of 5% inflation by the end of the year maintaining that inflation would fall to 5% by December despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

We did not state that ‘Dumsor Is Back’ because we do not want to ruffle the feathers of those who manage the energy sector.

In an age where TikTokers can be traced through their IP addresses and virtually dragged to security setups for interrogation, many are now mindful about their choice of expressions.

To state that we are in a regime akin to the days of the culture of silence is near an understatement.

A couple of days ago, the country was plunged into an unwelcome darkness spell which lasted several hours. In Tamale and other parts of the country, the darkness lasted longer, the inconveniences following; biting and money-losing.

All of a sudden a carefully crafted PRish statement was released from the Corporate Affairs Unit of Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo). Long as it was, it sought to calm the nerves of anguished consumers.

The painstaking efforts which went into crafting the statement can only be imagined. But as to whether it addressed the suspicion about a more serious challenge confronting managers of the energy sector is left to the conjecture of Ghanaians. All is not well with the energy sector, a fact which government will do all it can to veneer for political reasons.

A cynic described the unstable supply of electricity as ‘disguised dumsor’, we are unable to suppress the mirth that followed.

In a political ambience dictated by setting or propaganda, pains are taken to conceal the realities just so citizens are not exposed to the realities on the ground.

The bit about engineers and technicians working around the clock to restore normalcy following the nationwide blackout was, as contained in the explanatory statement, only a tip of the iceberg, the main issue outside our view.

Previous watery explanations proffered by politically minded managers of the energy sector included a so-called sabotage attributed to New Patriotic Party (NPP) elements within the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), especially in Kumasi, lies which were as flimsy as they were cheap and infantile. There was also a bit about a male and female snake lurking in a transformer in a suburb of Kumasi, and that this made it impossible for ECG workers to work on the location.

In a government of settings, many things happen including lies.

As for the Energy Minister, his political responsibility over the energy sector and all that are contained therein cannot be taken away from him. Since the buck stops on his desk, he should be ready to address questions thereof.

A minister with a record of claiming the loss of many ECG containers at the port of Tema only to reduce the figure and parading some foreign suspects as being behind the container theft which never took place, should have his words taken with a pinch of salt.

The outcome of an investigation into the nationwide blackout will never come.

Parliament has approved three major digital tax administration agreements aimed at modernising revenue collection, despite strong opposition from the Minority, which has described the arrangements as opaque, costly and potentially burdensome to taxpayers.

The approved agreements cover the deployment of the Sentinel Cross-Border E-Commerce VAT Monitoring and Collection System, a Ghana Domestic Revenue Collection Platform, and the implementation of the Fiscal Electronic Device (FED) Policy for the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The projects form part of the government’s strategy to improve tax compliance, reduce revenue leakages and strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation through digital technology.

Addressing a press conference in Parliament after the approvals, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North, Dr. Gideon Boako, said the Minority Caucus unanimously rejected all three agreements, insisting that although it supports the digitalisation of tax administration, it could not endorse agreements lacking adequate transparency.

He said the Minority fully supports the use of technology to improve tax compliance, widen the tax base and enhance domestic revenue mobilisation, but opposed what he described as ‘digital opacity.’

‘No responsible policymaker can oppose innovation that genuinely improves public administration,’ he said, adding that the Minority’s objection stemmed from unanswered questions surrounding the agreements rather than opposition to digital reforms.

Dr. Boako argued that the Sentinel platform, which is intended to monitor and facilitate VAT collection on cross-border digital services, could expose Ghanaians to double taxation.

According to him, under the proposed arrangement, consumers purchasing goods from foreign online platforms such as Amazon could be required to pay VAT in the country of origin and again in Ghana when the goods are imported.

He said the Minority had repeatedly asked the government to explain how it intended to prevent such double taxation but had received no satisfactory response.

The MP further claimed that the system would increase the cost of digital services and online transactions, including subscriptions to streaming platforms such as Netflix, online advertising and social media promotions.

He argued that although the government had abolished the betting tax, the new VAT arrangements effectively amounted to a ‘social media tax’ that would disproportionately affect young people and businesses operating online.

The Tano North MP also questioned the government’s decision to engage foreign companies to implement the new digital tax platforms instead of relying on Ghanaian technology firms.

He cited previous government digital projects, including GhanaPostGPS and Ghana.gov, as examples of systems developed by local information technology companies.

He expressed concern that a foreign company engaged under the Sentinel agreement could receive up to three (3) percent of the revenue generated through the platform, estimating that the annual payment could amount to about GHS690 million.

Dr. Boako described the projected payments as an unnecessary financial burden on taxpayers and criticised the outsourcing of key revenue collection functions to foreign entities.

He also questioned the rationale for establishing a new Ghana Domestic Revenue Collection Platform when existing systems, including Ghana.gov, the Integrated Tax Administration System (iTaPS), the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) and the Electronic VAT (e-VAT) platform, were already operational.

According to him, the government had failed to justify why another revenue collection platform was necessary or disclose how much the project would cost the country.

On the Fiscal Electronic Device programme, Dr. Boako said the government planned to procure about 40,000 electronic devices for use in VAT administration but had not disclosed the unit cost of the devices or clearly stated who would ultimately bear the cost.

He said conflicting explanations had been given during committee deliberations regarding whether the government or taxpayers would finance the devices, and called for greater clarity on maintenance arrangements, replacement of faulty equipment and the financial obligations that businesses would assume.

The Minority also criticised the agreements for being multi-year commitments without clearly stating their duration or termination clauses.

Dr. Boako said Parliament should not approve long-term financial commitments without knowing how long the agreements would remain in force or the conditions under which future governments could terminate them.

Ghana’s teenage para-athletics star, Hayford Addai, delivered a historic performance at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, clocking a lifetime best of 10.99 seconds to finish fifth in the highly competitive Men’s 100m T47 final.

The 17-year-old entered the Games with a personal best of 11.09 seconds but produced an inspired run to shave 0.10 seconds off his previous mark, becoming the first Ghanaian T47 sprinter to officially break the 11-second barrier.

India dominated the event, with Dilip Mahadu Gavit claiming gold and compatriot Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath taking silver, while England’s Kevin Santos secured the bronze medal.

Although he narrowly missed out on a podium finish, Addai’s performance has been celebrated as one of Ghana’s standout achievements at the Games. Competing at his maiden Commonwealth Games, the young sprinter displayed impressive composure against a world-class field.

Addai’s rise has been remarkable over the past year. He won gold at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai with a then-personal best of 11.09 seconds before claiming another gold medal in Rabat to secure qualification for Glasgow.

The National Paralympic Committee (NPC) Ghana praised the teenager for his dedication and hard work, describing his new personal best as a testament to disciplined preparation and growing international experience.

With his breakthrough sub-11-second performance, Addai has further established himself as one of Africa’s brightest para-athletics prospects and strengthened Ghana’s growing presence on the global stage ahead of the World Para Athletics Championships and the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

Ghanaian alternative star, Amaarae, has added another milestone to her record, as her song ‘Jumping Ship’ has officially surpassed 10 million streams on Spotify.

The track becomes her 23rd song across all credits to hit the 10 million mark on the platform.

With this feat, Amaarae now holds the record as the Ghanaian female artiste with the most songs across all credits with 10 million+ streams on Spotify, and ranks second overall among Ghanaian artistes on the platform.

Amaarae has emerged as one of Ghana’s biggest global music exports over the last five years. She first broke out with her 2020 project ‘The Angel You Don’t Know’, led by the viral hit ‘Sad Gurlz Luv Money’, which itself has racked up hundreds of millions of streams.

Her 2023 album ‘Fountain Baby’ further pushed her into the international spotlight, earning critical acclaim from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and NPR.

The singer-songwriter has since performed on major global stages including Coachella, Glastonbury, Afrochella, and The Governors Ball. She is also known for her genre-blending sound that fuses Afrobeats, pop, R and B and alté.

Beyond music, Amaarae has built a strong and loyal fan base celebrated for its bold fashion, online engagement, and cross-continental appeal. Her music continues to perform strongly across Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and TikTok, making her one of the most streamed Ghanaian acts of her generation.

Industry watchers say ‘Jumping Ship’ crossing 10 million streams is further proof of Amaarae’s growing catalog strength and her ability to sustain global listenership beyond viral singles.

As the global race for gold, lithium and other critical minerals intensifies, scientists are arguing that Africa’s greatest competitive advantage may lie not only beneath its soil, but in its ability to understand the geology that formed those resources in the first place.

That was the central message from leading earth scientists gathered in Accra for the International Association for Structural Geology and Tectonics (IASGT) conference, Department of Earth Science-University of Ghana, The Centre for exploration targeting-University of Western Australia and Agate Project, Australia where researchers from across the world urged African governments to invest more aggressively in geological research, scientific training and modern exploration technologies.

Their argument goes beyond academic curiosity. Better geological knowledge, they say, can improve mineral exploration, reduce mining risks, strengthen environmental management and position Ghana as a regional centre for geoscience research at a time when demand for critical minerals is reshaping the global economy.

Bringing World-Class Science To Developing Countries

For Prof. Manish Mamtani of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, one of IASGT’s priorities is to close the gap between developed and developing countries in structural geology research.

‘IASGT brings together people interested in structural geology and tectonics from all over the world. One of our major objectives is to promote structural geology research, particularly in developing countries.’

He noted that many international scientific meetings have historically been concentrated in Europe and North America, limiting participation from researchers in Africa, South America and parts of Asia.

‘Our observation has been that participation from Africa, India, South America and many developing countries has been relatively low. IASGT is consciously addressing that by bringing internationally recognised scientists together in developing countries so that local scientific communities also benefit.’

The strategy reflects a broader shift in global science towards building research capacity where many of the world’s future mineral discoveries are expected to occur.

Why Structural Geology Matters

Although artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming mineral exploration, Prof. Mamtani cautioned that technology cannot replace a solid understanding of geological processes.

‘Fieldwork remains extremely important. At the same time, there is increasing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning across geology, including structural geology.’

His point resonates strongly with Africa’s mining industry. While advanced algorithms can process enormous geological datasets, they still depend on accurate field observations and geological interpretation. In mineral exploration, AI is only as effective as the quality of the underlying science.

Ghana’s Opportunity

For the University of Ghana’s Head of the Department of Earth Science, Prof. Prince Ofori Amponsah, hosting the IASGT conference represents far more than an academic gathering.

It is, he argues, an opportunity to strengthen Ghana’s scientific capacity and deepen collaboration between universities, industry and international research institutions.

‘As I took over as Head of Department, aligning with the University’s Strategic Goal Two on impactful research, I thought this was one of the most important events we could bring to Ghana.’

Established in 2022, IASGT is regarded as one of the world’s leading platforms for structural geology and tectonics research.

‘Having this conference in Ghana is quite significant because it brings together great minds in structural geology from across the world.’

For a country whose economy remains heavily dependent on mining, the conference arrives at a critical time. Ghana continues to expand gold production while positioning itself to exploit emerging critical minerals such as lithium.

According to Prof. Amponsah, structural geology sits at the centre of that ambition.

‘Structural geology underpins virtually every natural resource we have-whether gold, base metals or oil. Understanding rock deformation and geological structures is fundamental for geologists, geoscientists and engineers because it helps explain how these resources are formed and trapped.’

He believes strengthening expertise in structural geology will improve exploration, resource development and the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s mining sector.

‘This conference is about capacity building. It is opening minds not only within academia but also across industry.’

Industry backs scientific research

One notable feature of the conference was the strong participation of Ghana’s mining industry.

Companies including Asante Gold Corporation, AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi Mine and Turaco Gold supported the event, reflecting growing recognition that scientific research increasingly drives exploration success.

The collaboration also highlights a wider industry trend. As easily accessible mineral deposits become scarcer, mining companies are relying more heavily on advanced geological models, structural analysis and data science to identify concealed ore bodies.

Positioning Ghana as a regional research hub

Prof. Ofori Amponsah said partnerships with institutions such as the Centre for Exploration Targeting at the University of Western Australia demonstrate the department’s growing international profile.

His ambition is to position Ghana as one of Africa’s leading centres for geoscience research.

‘We want the world to know that if they want to understand geoscience, how commodities are formed and how mineral systems work, they should look to the Department of Earth Science.’

If sustained, such collaborations could help reverse the long-standing trend of African scientists seeking specialized training abroad by bringing world-class research networks directly to Ghana. Among the conference speakers was Prof. Mark Jessell of the University of Western Australia, who explained why structural geology remains fundamental to mineral exploration and geological research.

Reading the rocks beneath Africa

Among the conference speakers was Prof. Mark Jessell of the University of Western Australia, who explained why structural geology remains fundamental to mineral exploration.

‘Structural geology helps us understand why the rocks we see at the surface are there today.’

He explained that Earth’s rocks have been deformed over geological time, exposing formations that were once buried deep beneath the surface.

In West Africa, those geological structures are particularly important because they control how mineral-rich fluids move through the Earth’s crust.

‘In many parts of West Africa, and especially in Ghana, these faults provide pathways for fluids rising from deep within the Earth. Those fluids transport gold, lithium and other critical minerals.’

Understanding these structures, he said, allows geologists to predict where economically valuable mineral deposits are most likely to occur.

Beyond exploration, structural geology also improves mine design, groundwater management and environmental planning by helping engineers understand hidden faults and rock stability.

The future lies at the intersection of geology and AI

Prof. Jessell believes the next transformation in mining will come from closer collaboration between geologists, computer scientists and industry.

‘Collaboration with industry is important, but collaboration between geologists and computer scientists is equally important.’

While computer scientists possess expertise in artificial intelligence, geologists contribute the geological understanding required to interpret complex Earth systems.

‘Expanding partnerships between universities, industry, geologists and computer scientists is very much the future of the discipline. That collaboration will strengthen mining and help develop the next generation of industry leaders.’

For Ghana, which is increasingly investing in digital mining technologies, this convergence could improve exploration efficiency while helping universities produce graduates equipped for a rapidly evolving industry.

Beyond Mining: Protecting People And Infrastructure

The conference also highlighted the broader societal value of Earth science.

Prof. Tolulope Olugboji of the University of Rochester argued that geophysics is essential not only for mineral exploration but also for disaster preparedness and infrastructure planning.

‘The value of science, the value of geophysics and the value of Earth sciences is that they help answer important questions.’

Although Ghana experiences fewer earthquakes than East Africa or other tectonically active regions, it lies close to important fault systems and has experienced damaging earthquakes in the past.

‘Geophysicists like myself try to understand the structure of the Earth and how the Earth moves. Fundamentally, the Earth moves and slips in ways that can become dangerous when tectonic plates interact, creating earthquakes.’

He called on governments to invest more in scientific instruments, monitoring networks and research capacity-not only to improve hazard preparedness but also to support mineral exploration and national development.

A Chance For Africa To Lead

For conference participants, the discussions reflected a wider shift taking place across Africa’s mining sector.

Daniel Apau of Asante Gold described the gathering as an important platform for knowledge exchange.

‘This is one of the conferences bringing strong minds together in the industry, not just in Ghana but globally. We have had good discussions on cutting-edge technologies being used in structural analysis. For me, it is excellent capacity building, and what I have witnessed so far has been very insightful.’

He believes the continent still has enormous exploration potential.

‘The more you explore using knowledge, the more you find. In our sub-region there is a good opportunity for us to continue exploring, discover more and build our countries through stronger mineral reserves.’

The Bigger Picture

The conference comes at a pivotal moment for Ghana and Africa.

As governments seek to capture greater value from their mineral wealth rather than simply exporting raw materials, investment in geological science is emerging as a strategic economic asset. Better mapping of the subsurface can reduce exploration risk, attract investment, improve environmental stewardship and strengthen domestic technical expertise.

For Ghana, already Africa’s leading gold producer and an emerging player in critical minerals, becoming a regional centre for geoscience research could prove as valuable as the resources beneath its ground.

The consensus from Accra was clear: Africa’s mining future will depend not only on what lies underground, but on the scientific knowledge developed above it.

Renowned content creator, Ama Burland, has revealed that broadcast journalist Nana Aba Anamoah contributed to her rise in the contents creation space.

Nana Aba Anamoah and Ama Burland have a mentor/supporter and mentee relationship.

In April 2026 interviews, Ama Burland revealed that after alleged ‘fake’ nude images of her went viral in 2019, she was overwhelmed and considered suicide.

According to Ama Burland, Nana Aba Anamoah called her and spent the whole day with her.

‘She wasn’t even concerned about whether I was the one in the video or not… all she cared about was that I stayed alive,’ she disclosed.

Both were present at Nana Aba’s ‘Women of Valour’ conference in London in March 2026. The event celebrates women who have overcome personal and social challenges.