The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) is calling on the government to immediately publish the full assessment report underpinning the approval of the Damang mining lease to Engineers and Planners (E&P) Limited.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Tuesday, the Country Manager of NRGI, Patrick Stephenson said transparency is critical to sustaining public trust in Ghana’s extractive sector.
He questioned the speed with which the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources granted approval following the submission of a committee’s recommendations.
According to him, while it is procedurally expected for a minister to act on such recommendations, the near-immediate approval—reportedly within two hours—raises concerns about whether adequate scrutiny and due diligence were undertaken before the decision was finalised.
“We would like to see that the results of this work—the assessment—are published, not just the decision of the minister,” Stephenson stressed.
He argued that the absence of publicly available evaluation reports creates what he described as a “black box” in the decision-making chain, where critical steps between technical review and ministerial approval remain unclear to citizens.
Stephenson noted that Ghana’s mineral licensing regime involves several layers of institutional oversight, including technical committees, procurement structures, and final ministerial sign-off.
However, without access to the data and analysis that inform these decisions, the public is unable to independently assess whether the process was fair, competitive, and aligned with national interest.
Drawing on recent reviews of the country’s minerals value chain, particularly in emerging sectors such as lithium, he highlighted longstanding concerns around weaknesses in the licensing framework and uncertainty over how mineral rights are ultimately awarded.
The Damang case, he suggested, reinforces the urgency of reforms aimed at strengthening transparency, including the mandatory publication of assessment and evaluation reports, clear documentation of decision-making stages and improved public access to licensing data.
Stephenson emphasised that making such information public would not only enhance accountability but also build investor confidence and ensure that Ghana derives maximum value from its natural resources.
While he stopped short of directly faulting the outcome of the process, he maintained that transparency must be prioritised to eliminate doubts and reinforce credibility.
“It is not just about the decision, it is about the process and the data behind it,” he added.
His call comes after the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources officially approved the grant of the Damang Mining Lease to Engineers and Planners Ltd (E&P), concluding a high-stakes competitive bidding process designed to revitalise one of Ghana’s most significant mineral assets.
In a press release issued on 7th April 2026, the Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, confirmed he had upheld the recommendations of a specialised Tender Committee, which identified E&P as the most capable entity to extend the life of the Damang Mine beyond the next decade.
E&P emerged victorious from a pool of four companies that submitted bids by the 31st March deadline.
According to the Tender Committee’s report, E&P’s proposal was the only one that fully satisfied the rigorous financial requirements, specifically demonstrating “evidence of access to financing, meeting the USD 500 million minimum threshold”.
The committee noted that E&P demonstrated superior technical knowledge of the Damang Mine’s unique geology and infrastructure, presenting a comprehensive plan to sustain operations for at least another 10 years.
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Source:
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