Gov’t Withdraws Revised Lithium Deal from Parliament for Further Stakeholder Engagement

The government has pulled the revised lithium mining agreement from Parliament to allow for additional consultations with key stakeholders, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has announced.

Deputy Lands Minister Yusif Sulemana, addressing Parliament on Wednesday, December 10, said the decision was necessary to ensure broader input before the agreement is resubmitted.

“The reason for the withdrawal of this agreement is to enable the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to undertake further consultations with very relevant stakeholders prior to representing it to this very important House,” he said.

Background of the Agreement

The revised deal, laid before Parliament by Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, covers the mining of lithium and other associated minerals at Mankessim in the Central Region.

The renegotiation became necessary after Barari DV Ghana Limited—the firm undertaking the project—requested an adjustment to lease terms. This followed a drastic global decline in lithium prices from approximately US$3,000 per tonne to about US$630 per tonne, rendering several global lithium projects commercially unviable.

As part of the revisions, government reduced the initial royalty rate from 10% to 5%, with a provision to restore the 10% rate when the market stabilises.

Political Pushback

The Minority in Parliament has strongly opposed the revised agreement. Former Lands Minister and Damongo MP Samuel Abu Jinapor argued that the so-called revised deal mirrors the earlier one and should therefore be rejected outright.

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin also criticised the government, accusing it of policy inconsistency and poor handling of the lithium resource negotiations.

However, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga defended the agreement, urging that it be allowed to proceed to the relevant parliamentary committees for a thorough review and recommendation.

Next Steps

Speaker Alban Bagbin confirmed that once resubmitted, the deal will be referred to the appropriate parliamentary committee for detailed scrutiny.

The withdrawal is expected to pave the way for broader engagement with local communities, industry experts, civil society actors, and other stakeholders, with government insisting that the final agreement must protect national interest, support industrial development, and create jobs in the Central Region.