The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has urged African countries to prioritise ownership and value creation from the continent’s natural resources, arguing that Africa’s focus should shift from resource discovery to ensuring greater local control and economic benefits.
Speaking at the Africa Rising Symposium organised by EMY Africa in London, Mr Gyamfi said Africa’s vast natural wealth should be leveraged to drive sustainable economic transformation and long-term prosperity for its people.
He also called on the African diaspora to move beyond remittances by investing in key sectors such as manufacturing, agribusiness, technology, healthcare, infrastructure, green energy and value addition. According to him, while remittances support households, strategic investments are essential for building resilient economies.
Mr Gyamfi further urged African governments to create an enabling investment climate through consistent policies, transparent institutions and stronger protection of contracts. He praised President John Dramani Mahama’s efforts to strengthen African ownership of strategic sectors, adding that GoldBod has prioritised reforms to formalise Ghana’s gold trade, curb smuggling, improve traceability and boost the country’s foreign exchange reserves.