By Felix Cofie
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has held high-level discussions with civil society organisations (CSOs) as part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s lithium agreement, which was recently withdrawn from Parliament.
At the meeting held on Monday, December 13, 2025, the Minister outlined government’s position on the deal and shared a new policy direction for lithium exploration and development, following the recall of the agreement last week.
Mr Buah emphasised that government is committed to negotiating an agreement that delivers maximum benefits to the people of Ewoyaa, the host community, and the country as a whole. He therefore encouraged CSOs to provide frank and constructive feedback to help improve the framework of a new agreement between the Government of Ghana and Barari DV, the local subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium.
Participants from the invited CSOs offered detailed contributions, focusing on key issues such as Ghana’s royalty interests, equity participation, environmental protection, and community development.
The inputs, which spanned financial, sustainability, gender, health, and safety considerations, were acknowledged by the Minister, who assured stakeholders that government would incorporate the relevant concerns and recommendations into the revised agreement.
Dr Steve Manteaw, one of the participants, commended the Minister for fostering inclusive stakeholder engagement in the management of Ghana’s natural resources.
Similarly, Benjamin Nsiah, a policy analyst and researcher at the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE), praised the initiative and urged government to sustain broad-based consultations throughout the process.
Further contributions from Patrick Stephenson of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), Benjamin Boakye of the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Samuel Bekoe of the Centre for Extractives and Development Africa (CEDA), and other stakeholders enriched the discussions.
The Country Manager of Atlantic Lithium, Ahmed Salim, who also participated in the engagement, welcomed the feedback and criticisms and called for continued collaboration in drafting a new agreement.
Concluding the meeting, the Lands Minister reaffirmed government’s commitment to ongoing stakeholder consultations, assuring participants that his office remains open to further engagement. He also disclosed that additional consultations are planned as part of efforts to ensure Ghana’s lithium discovery delivers broad-based national benefits.
