Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey, has called for a strategic and deliberate cross-sector coordination framework to redefine the nation’s local content landscape.
Speaking as a panelist at the Local Content Summit, Ing. Ashigbey called for a transition from traditional ownership-based metrics toward a robust model centered on productive capacity and long-term value retention.
He argued that the current trajectory of local content must be boldly reimagined to prioritize the domestic ability to produce and scale essential goods and services, ensuring that the extractive industry serves as a genuine catalyst for industrialization.
“We must be proactive in everything and ensure communities thrive by telling our story with data. If we do not engage early and transparently, the vacuum will be filled by narratives that don’t reflect the true impact of our work. We need to speak with one voice to ensure that we continue to attract, not drive away, investment.”
Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey
The Chamber of Mines CEO emphasized that the success of such a shift depends on the seamless integration of government ministries, private sector players, and technical institutions.
Ing. Ashigbey noted that effective local content development requires deliberate coordination to align policy goals with the practical technical needs of the industry.
By fostering these collaboration platforms, Ghana can move beyond the superficial definition of local content based on “who brings the product” and instead focus on the capacity to produce and acquire the products and services needed locally.
This approach is designed to secure a competitive edge for Ghanaian firms, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), allowing them to penetrate regional markets and integrate effectively into the global value chain.
Redefining Local Content Through Productive Capacity
The transition to a capacity-driven local content policy is no longer a luxury but a necessity for sustainable development.
Ing. Ashigbey argued that regulation alone cannot drive this change; it must be anchored in sound industrial policy, incentives, and strategic investment in skills development. By focusing on what he termed “productive capacity,” the industry can move away from being a mere consumer of imported inputs.
This strategic shift involves creating an environment where local firms are not just participants on paper but are technically equipped to meet the rigorous standards of the international mining community through targeted resource commitment.
Regional Integration and Institutional Fabric
A critical component of the Chamber’s proposal is the recognition that Ghana’s domestic market is insufficient for massive industrial expansion.
Ing. Ashigbey highlighted the importance of regional frameworks as a launchpad for local firms to scale beyond national borders. To achieve this, the nation must build modern facilities and institutional fabric necessary for firms to integrate competitively into the international community.
He maintained that since domestic markets are relatively small, Ghanaian businesses must position themselves to take advantage of broader regional opportunities, ensuring that the local content policy acts as a springboard for continental competitiveness rather than a restrictive domestic barrier.
Strengthening the Mining Sector via Strategic Coordination
The deliberate cross-sector coordination can significantly fortify the mining sector by eliminating the “silo effect” that often leads to mismatched skills and underutilized resources.
This coordination facilitates infrastructure synergy by aligning mining needs with national rail and power projects to lower operational costs, while also ensuring that vocational and technical universities produce graduates with the specific competencies required for modern, automated mining operations.
Furthermore, such coordination fosters supply chain resilience through the development of local manufacturing clusters that serve multiple industries, thereby reducing the mining sector’s reliance on volatile global supply chains.
Ultimately, this sustained collaboration between industry and government is the only viable path to building the technical capabilities and skills base needed to drive Ghana’s future industrial transformation.
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