The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, says Ghana is shifting from exporting raw minerals to building industries at home with Chinese partnership.

He made the call in a keynote address at the 28th China Mining on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at Hall N7, 1st floor, Tianjin Meijiang Convention Center, where almost all global Natural Resources Ministers are gathered.

He said the conference theme "Win-Win Cooperation, Green and Intelligent" captures Ghana's new direction for mining under President John Dramani Mahama.

"Ghana comes to China with a simple proposition. We have the resources. China has deep experience in capital, technology, processing, infrastructure and industrial development," Buah stated.

He said Ghana and China share over six decades of relations since President Kwame Nkrumah, with Chinese firms including Chifeng Gold Group, Shandong Gold and Zijin Mining already investing in Ghana.

"The question is no longer only, 'Who will buy our resources?' The more consequential question is: 'What can we build together from them?'" he asked.

Buah said for too long resource-rich countries supplied raw materials while processing happened elsewhere, adding: "That arrangement cannot be the foundation of an enduring partnership."

He said Ghana wants next generation partnerships to go deeper into processing, technology transfer, skills training and local supply chains, so that value addition creates jobs for young Ghanaians.

"For the young Ghanaian, value addition is not an economic theory. It is a job. It is a skill. It is a career," he noted.

Buah said Ghana, Africa's leading gold producer, will use Ghana Mining Day at China Mining to showcase opportunities in gold refining, integrated aluminium, iron ore for steel, and critical minerals.