[Ferro-Alloys.com] Tarkwa MP champions multi-billion-dollar manganese refinery project a - Thousands of jobs to be created

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa Nsuaem, Issah Salifu Taylor, has intensified efforts to facilitate the establishment of a modern manganese refinery at Nsuta in the Western Region, a major industrial project expected to create thousands of jobs and significantly boost the country’s economy.

The proposed refinery, to be developed by Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) Limited, forms part of a broader national agenda to promote local processing of raw materials and increase value addition within Ghana’s mining sector.

The initiative is also in line with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of transforming the country from a predominantly raw mineral exporter into an industrialised economy driven by local manufacturing and processing.

Meeting investors

As part of efforts to advance the project, Mr Taylor recently travelled to China with the Deputy Managing Director of Ghana Manganese Company, Yuanwei Sun, to engage the company’s principal investor and owner on plans for the refinery.

The discussions focused on the investor’s commitment, preparedness and roadmap towards establishing the refinery at the company’s operational site in Nsuta.

During the meeting, the investor reportedly expressed strong enthusiasm for the project and appealed to the MP to support efforts to secure the necessary permits, approvals and licences required under Ghanaian law.

The investor also reaffirmed the company’s readiness to commit the resources needed to ensure the successful execution of the project.

Independent assessment

Following his return to Ghana, Mr Taylor constituted a team of technical experts to undertake an independent assessment of the project’s readiness and engage the management of Ghana Manganese Company on the practical steps required for implementation.

The team included Professor Shadrach Fosu, a mining engineering expert at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT); Dr Erick Gyimah, an environmental engineering expert at UMaT; mining expert, Sanni Abdul-Aziz, and Salifu Imran from the Office of the MP.

The delegation later visited the company, where they were received by senior management led by Mr Sun.

During the engagement, management provided a comprehensive briefing on work already completed, key milestones achieved and the support required from government institutions to facilitate the commencement of the project.

The team also undertook a field inspection of the proposed refinery site under the guidance of the company’s Business Improvement Manager and Project Lead, Dr Emmanuel Coffie.

The inspection offered first-hand insight into preparations already undertaken and reinforced confidence in the feasibility of the project.

Economic potential

Addressing management after the visit, Mr Taylor said the refinery had the potential to transform the economic fortunes of the municipality by creating sustainable employment opportunities for thousands of young people while increasing government revenue through mineral value addition.

He pledged his unwavering support for the refinery initiative, describing it as a project of immense strategic importance to both Tarkwa Nsuaem and the country as a whole.

“I pledged to work closely with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, relevant regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders to facilitate the processing of all necessary documentation, permits, and licences required for the commencement of the project,” he added.

Mr Taylor disclosed that he was awaiting a comprehensive technical report from the expert team to guide future engagements with regulators and policymakers.

Tarkwa MP Pushes Multi-Billion Dollar Manganese Refinery At Nsuta

The Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem, Issah Salifu Taylor, is spearheading efforts to establish a modern manganese refinery at Nsuta in the Western Region, a project expected to create thousands of jobs and deliver a significant boost to Ghana’s broader industrialisation agenda.

The proposed facility, to be developed by Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) Limited at its existing operational site in Nsuta, forms part of a national push to move Ghana away from exporting raw minerals and towards local processing and value addition, a priority that sits at the heart of President John Dramani Mahama’s economic transformation agenda.

The project is still in its preparatory stages, but the groundwork being laid by the MP suggests a deliberate and structured approach to getting it off the ground, one that has already taken him to China and back.

The China Trip That Started It All

In a bid to gauge the seriousness of the investment, Mr Taylor travelled to China alongside the Deputy Managing Director of Ghana Manganese Company, Yuanwei Sun, to meet the company’s principal investor and owner directly.

The discussions centred on the investor’s commitment, preparedness, and roadmap for establishing the refinery. By all accounts, the meeting went well.

The investor expressed strong enthusiasm for the project and made a specific appeal to the MP, one that set the tone for everything that has followed since.

The investor reaffirmed the company’s readiness to commit the resources needed to ensure the successful execution of the project, and appealed to me to support efforts to secure the necessary permits, approvals, and licences required under Ghanaian law.

Issah Salifu Taylor, Member of Parliament, Tarkwa Nsuaem

An Independent Eye On The Ground

Upon returning to Ghana, Mr Taylor moved quickly. Rather than relying solely on the company’s own assessments, he constituted an independent team of technical experts to evaluate the project’s readiness and engage Ghana Manganese Company management on the practical steps required for implementation.

The team brought together serious expertise. It included Professor Shadrach Fosu, a mining engineering expert at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT); Dr Erick Gyimah, an environmental engineering expert also at UMaT; mining expert Sanni Abdul-Aziz; and Salifu Imran from the MP’s office.

The delegation visited the company and was received by senior management led by Mr Sun, who provided a comprehensive briefing on work already completed, key milestones achieved, and the support required from government institutions to move the project forward.

The team also conducted a field inspection of the proposed refinery site under the guidance of the company’s Business Improvement Manager and Project Lead, Dr Emmanuel Coffie – a visit that offered firsthand insight into the preparations already under way and reinforced confidence in the project’s feasibility.

Thousands Of Jobs On The Line

Addressing Ghana Manganese Company management after the visit, Mr Taylor was unambiguous about what the refinery means for the people of Tarkwa Nsuaem and the country at large.

The refinery has the potential to transform the economic fortunes of the municipality by creating sustainable employment opportunities for thousands of young people while increasing government revenue through mineral value addition.

Issah Salifu Taylor, MP, Tarkwa Nsuaem

He pledged his full support for the initiative and outlined a clear path forward on the regulatory front, which he acknowledged remains the most immediate hurdle between the project and ground-breaking.

I pledged to work closely with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, relevant regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders to facilitate the processing of all necessary documentation, permits, and licences required for the commencement of the project.

Issah Salifu Taylor

What Comes Next

Mr Taylor disclosed that he is currently awaiting a comprehensive technical report from the expert team, which will guide future engagements with regulators and policymakers. That report is expected to sharpen the conversation with the relevant government institutions and give the project a firmer technical footing as it moves through the approvals process.

The broader context matters here. Ghana’s mining sector has long been criticised for exporting raw materials with little to no processing done on home soil, leaving the country with a fraction of the value its mineral wealth could generate. A manganese refinery of this scale, backed by a committed foreign investor, assessed by independent Ghanaian technical experts, and championed by a sitting MP with direct access to the company’s ownership – represents exactly the kind of value-addition project successive governments have promised but rarely delivered.

Whether the Nsuta refinery breaks that pattern will depend on how smoothly the permits, approvals, and licences that the investor is counting on can be secured. Mr Taylor appears determined to make sure that question is answered sooner rather than later.

• [Editor:tianyawei]