The global minerals landscape is undergoing a significant transformation.
As industries transition towards cleaner energy, advanced manufacturing and resilient supply chains, minerals that were once considered primarily industrial inputs are becoming strategic resources shaping the future of economies.
Manganese is one such mineral.
For more than a century of production in Ghana, it has been a critical component in steel production, supporting infrastructure development, transportation, construction and manufacturing.
Today, its importance is expanding to an essential critical mineral as it becomes increasingly relevant in battery technologies and the global clean energy transition.
For countries endowed with manganese resources, the opportunity extends beyond extraction.
The real value lies in building stronger participation across the mineral value chain, creating jobs, attracting investment and supporting sustainable industrial growth.
Ghana’s Manganese Advantage
Ghana has a proud and longstanding history in manganese production.
The Nsuta Mine in the Western Region, which began commercial operations in 1916, remains one of the country's most important mineral assets and has contributed significantly to Ghana's position in the global manganese market.
With high-quality deposits, an experienced workforce and an established investment environment, Ghana is well-positioned to benefit from growing global demand for this strategic mineral.
In recent years, the outlook for Ghana's manganese industry has improved.
Production increased from approximately 2.99 million tonnes in 2023 to 4.75 million tonnes in 2024 and 5.28 million tonnes in 2025, with national revenues scaling up from about GH₵126 million in 2024 to GH₵169 million in 2025.
As of 2025, Ghana remained Africa's third- largest producer of manganese and fourth-largest globally.
This positive trajectory looks set to continue, with Ghana Manganese Company Limited (GMC) projecting a record monthly production of 700,000 tonnes for August, nearly double recent average levels and bringing the company closer to its annual target of eight million tonnes.
GMC attributed the anticipated increase to improved weather conditions and the commissioning of new heavy-duty equipment.
The opportunity now is to further strengthen the industry through greater value addition, increased local participation and investments that generate broader economic benefits.
Moving up the value chain will require investment in processing capacity, infrastructure and technical expertise.
This must be supported by strong environmental and quality standards capable of meeting export-market specifications for higher-grade manganese products, including battery-grade material.
Economically, success will depend on assured ore supply, competitive energy pricing, efficient logistics, patient capital, fiscal certainty and strong technology partnerships.
A basic beneficiation facility may cost tens of millions of dollars, while a large integrated refinery could require several hundred million.
Ghana’s proposed Nsuta-Tarkwa manganese refinery offers a useful benchmark, with the total investment estimated at US$450 million, including US$240 million for the first phase covering power, processing and logistics.
This underscores the capital-intensive nature of value addition, but also its potential to generate higher export earnings, strengthen industrial linkages and create jobs when supported by the right policy and financing framework.
On ESG, Ghana's value-addition agenda must account for the carbon intensity of mineral processing.
Green metallurgical practices, renewable power, water recycling and responsible tailings management will be essential to reducing environmental impact, alongside strong host-community benefit-sharing frameworks that ensure local employment, skills development and fair participation in the value created from Ghana’s manganese resources.
Africa’s Emerging Manganese Opportunity
Africa occupies a strategic position in the global manganese industry.
South Africa alone is the world's largest manganese producer and holds about 38 per cent of global manganese reserves, while Gabon and Ghana rank among Africa's leading producers.
Over the years, much of Africa’s manganese production has largely been in raw ore for use in the steel industry.
However, growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and their rechargeable batteries is driving increased investment in local beneficiation and value addition.
South Africa's Manganese Metal Company (MMC) is developing a US$25 million battery-grade manganese sulphate plant, which is expected to position the country as an active player in the global battery supply chain while continuing to serve traditional steel markets.
Gabon has also made significant progress in downstream processing.
In 2015, the country commissioned the Moanda Metallurgical Complex, a US$400 million investment in local processing of manganese ore.
The facility remains one of the most significant processing operations in Central Africa.
Ghana is also contributing towards the beneficiation of manganese on the continent.
The Ghana Manganese Company, operators of the Nsuta Mine, have indicated plans to build a US$450 million electrolytic plant that would process manganese ore to improve manganese content from approximately 26 to 40 per cent, enhancing export value.
Botswana is also seeking to enter the sector through the K.Hill Battery Materials Project, which could become the country's first manganese mine.
The project has an expected mine life of about 25 years.
The development highlights Botswana's efforts to position itself within the growing market for battery minerals driven by the global energy transition.
Through collaboration, innovation and strategic investments, Africa can increase its participation in processing, manufacturing and emerging technologies linked to critical minerals.
MIIF and Ghana’s Manganese Future
We at the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), established to receive, manage and invest mineral royalties and related income from mining operations due to the Republic, continue to play an important role in transforming Ghana’s mineral wealth into long-term value for current and future generations.
MIIF recognises manganese as a strategic resource with significant investment potential, both within Ghana and across the broader African minerals’ ecosystem.
The Fund’s interest goes beyond supporting mining activities; it is focused on identifying opportunities that promote value creation, strengthen local participation and position Ghana competitively within global mineral supply chains.
Through strategic investments and partnerships, MIIF is seeking to deploy capital across the manganese value chain, including areas that support processing, infrastructure development and industrial growth.
These investments align with the government’s RESET Agenda and its broader vision of transforming mineral resources into drivers of economic development.
The Road Ahead
By combining responsible mining practices, strategic investment and value addition, Ghana can strengthen its position in the global manganese industry while maximising economic value at home.
Manganese is not only a mineral beneath the ground; it is an opportunity to drive industrialisation, create jobs and support a more resilient economy.
The decisions we make today will determine how effectively Ghana positions itself in the evolving global minerals economy.
Looking ahead, Ghana's success in manganese will depend on a coordinated industrialisation roadmap built on three pillars: public-private partnerships (PPPs), research and development (R&D), and beneficiation.
Strategic PPPs can mobilise the capital required for processing facilities, energy infrastructure, rail connectivity, port expansion and industrial parks, sharing risk between government, investors and industry.
Greater investment in R&D, through collaboration among universities, research institutions, mining companies and technology providers, will be essential for ore characterisation, metallurgical innovation and process optimisation.
Beneficiation must bridge extraction and industrial transformation, moving Ghana beyond exporting raw ore towards producing higher-value concentrates, refined products and materials for emerging battery and advanced manufacturing value chains.
Together, these interventions can stimulate industrial growth, deepen local content, create skilled employment and position Ghana as a competitive mineral processing hub in Africa.
For MIIF and Ghana, the ambition is clear: to transform mineral resources into lasting national value.
The writer is the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Income Investment Fund.
