By Emelia B. Addae
Accra, June 25, GNA – The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has called for stronger public oversight of Ghana’s emerging lithium industry, warning that weak governance and corruption risks could undermine the country’s ability to derive lasting benefits from the critical mineral.
To strengthen transparency and accountability, the Institute organised a one-day capacity-building workshop in Accra for journalists and civil society organisations (CSOs) on tracking corruption risks across Ghana’s lithium value chain.
Held under the theme, “Addressing Corruption Risks in Ghana’s Lithium Value Chain: Governance, Transparency, and Accountability,” the workshop equipped participants with knowledge of the lithium value chain, governance risks and practical tools for monitoring and reporting developments in the sector.
Ghana’s lithium industry is anchored by the Ewoyaa Lithium Project in the Central Region, which is expected to supply the rapidly expanding global electric vehicle battery market.
Addressing participants, Mr Patrick Kwabena Stephenson, Country Manager of NRGI Ghana, said recent assessments had identified significant governance risks, including opaque decision-making, political discretion, weak disclosure practices, transfer pricing risks and non-transparent offtake arrangements under vertically integrated companies.
He said those concerns had become more pronounced following the reported transfer of the Ewoyaa Lithium Project to Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, a development that presents opportunities for financing and value addition while raising questions about valuation, transparency and long-term public benefit.
“Without strong oversight and informed public scrutiny, Ghana risks repeating patterns seen in other extractive sectors, where unclear processes, weak enforcement and elite influence have limited the benefits accruing to citizens,” Mr Stephenson said.
He stressed that strengthening the capacity of the media and civil society to interrogate and report on governance risks was essential to ensuring that Ghana’s lithium resources generate equitable and sustainable outcomes.
As part of its recommendations, NRGI urged journalists to engage affected communities before mining activities commence, monitor project transfer arrangements, track equity commitments and report on royalty payments and revenue flows once production begins.
The Institute also encouraged civil society organisations to mobilise communities in the Ewoyaa area ahead of any displacement, establish independent environmental baseline data on water quality, vegetation and livelihoods, and ensure community voices are reflected in parliamentary processes and policy reviews.
Mr Stephenson said NRGI remained committed to supporting informed and inclusive decision-making on natural resources and Ghana’s transition to a clean energy economy.
He emphasised that Ghana’s transition into lithium production must be underpinned by transparency, public accountability and informed citizen participation to ensure the country’s critical mineral wealth delivers lasting benefits rather than repeating governance failures experienced in parts of the extractive sector.
GNA
Editing by D.I. Laary/Audrey Dekalu
Reporter: Emelia B. Addae