Ghanaian metallurgist graduates from Kinross’ Generation Gold program with top honors

The name of Ghana reigned supreme at the 2022 Kinross World Generation Gold program graduation ceremony held in Alaska (USA) as Festus Bumankama Agyapong, a native of Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region was adjudged among the three graduates who stood out in the 2022 Generation Gold program. A mining metallurgist by profession, Festus Bumankama Agyapong attended Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast in the Central region and later the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. His career as a metallurgist began at Chirano in 2012 after he earned a Bachelor of Science in Material Engineering and a Certificate in Metallurgical Engineering from KNUST. Bumakuma Agyapong took interest in the Generation Gold Programme which trains engineers in the extractive industry with the belief that it will serve as an excellent opportunity to gain global experience working across a variety of climates and cultures. He joined the program in 2019 working at Bald Mountain in Nevada as a Metallurgist. Through the program, the Ghanaian was exposed to the management of ounce production, cyanide plant optimizations, and production reporting and worked throughout the Assay and Metallurgy Labs. After 18 months, Agyapong transferred to Fort Knox in Alaska where he had the opportunity to expand his skills. He also gained exposure to new methods of mine operations including working on one of the few cold-weather heap leach facilities in the world and working on project-specific tasks including in-pit tailings and the Manh Choh project. Festus gained broad knowledge in his field, while learning the importance of health and safety and how our safety culture is interchangeable across our global operations. Since graduating from the program, Festus has joined Fort Knox as a full-time metallurgist where he is passionate about the responsibilities, leadership and challenges the site has to offer and is excited to share his knowledge and experience gained during his time in the Generation Gold Programme. The son of Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II, Sefwi Wiawso Omanhene, and a member of the Council of State currently works with Fort Knox, a USA military installation in Kentucky which houses a large portion of the United States official gold reserves.