The Paramount Chief of the Nkusukum Traditional Area in the Central Region, Okogyeman Okese Essando IX, has appealed to the government and parliament to expedite the ratification of the Ewoyaa Lithium Mining Lease.
He warned that prolonged delays are worsening hardship and frustration among affected communities.
Speaking at the 2025 Grand Durbar of the Odambea Festival at Saltpond, the Paramount Chief described the Ewoyaa Lithium Project as the “hope of the people of Mfantseman and Nkusukum”, noting that the initiative spans seven communities with enormous economic prospects.
“Up to now, the ratification has not been passed, and this has left our communities – such as Ewoyaa, Amanse, Nankesedo, Anokye, Abonko, and Twafo – worried. We, the chiefs, are also extremely frustrated,” Okogyeman Okese Essando IX lamented.
He explained that the moratorium imposed on local lands had limited residents’ access to their properties and stalled compensation and resettlement plans that Atlantic Lithium, the project operator, had prepared.
“If Parliament had given them the ratification, they would have paid everybody their due compensations and begun the resettlement of some of the affected communities. I know this mining company, and I know for a fact that they are ready. We are all looking forward to government (Parliament) giving them the approval. I know that if government (Parliament) gives them the ratification today, within three months they will certainly pay the compensations, and the resettlement construction will also start,” the traditional ruler indicated.
The Paramount Chief expressed confidence that ratification before the end of the year would trigger immediate compensation payments, construction of resettlement facilities and job creation across the area.
“This will attract a lot of jobs into our communities. Our children and families will get work to do, and it will bring peace. The lithium is a blessing that God has given to us, the people of Nkusukum, Mankessim, and Abura,” he said.
Background
Ghana’s entry into the global lithium market has stalled two years after signing what was hailed as a landmark agreement with Atlantic Lithium in October 2023.
Although the company was granted a 15-year mining lease, the deal remains unratified by Parliament, leaving the project in legal limbo while lithium prices collapse globally.
The project was expected to generate over 1,200 jobs during construction and channel one percent of annual revenues into a Community Development Fund for local infrastructure. The government also secured a 19 percent equity stake, including a 13 percent free carried interest.
However, fluctuating market prices and ongoing reviews of the agreement by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources have delayed parliamentary action, sparking concerns among investors and local leaders alike.
Policy experts and community stakeholders have warned that further delays could cause Ghana to lose out to regional competitors like Mali, which has already brought two lithium projects into production.
With Parliament’s ratification still pending, the people of Nkusukum, Mankessim and Abura continue to wait for the promise of jobs and development that the Ewoyaa Lithium Project represents.
