Ghana Upholds Revocation of Adamus Resources’ Gold-Mining Leases
Ghana · Mining
Key Facts
—The ruling: Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah upheld the revocation of Adamus Resources’ mining leases on 10 August 2026.
—The leases: Three concessions — Akango, Salman and Nkroful — in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
—How it started: The Minerals Commission first revoked the leases on 26 April 2026.
—The findings: A government review committee cited US$2.56 million in unpaid mineral-rights fees, GH¢86.8 million (about US$7.4 million) in royalties and GH¢290.5 million (about US$24.8 million) in tax arrears.
—Capital flight: The committee said US$224 million was transferred to related parties abroad between 2020 and 2024.
—What now: The Minerals Commission has been ordered to take administrative control of the mine.
The government says the company mined without approvals, subleased rights it did not own and let illegal crews onto its concessions. After hearing the company’s appeal, the minister agreed.
Ghana has drawn a hard line with one of its Western Region gold miners. On 10 August 2026, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah upheld the revocation of Adamus Resources’ mining leases, rejecting the company’s petition and confirming a decision the Minerals Commission first took in April. For anyone watching how Accra now polices its mining sector, the ruling is a clear signal: paperwork and compliance are no longer optional.
What the minister decided
The case reached the minister’s desk after Adamus Resources, through chief executive Angela List, petitioned against the Minerals Commission’s 26 April 2026 revocation of three concessions — Akango, Salman and Nkroful — in the Ellembelle District. A ministerial review committee examined that petition and recommended the revocation stand. On 10 August, Buah confirmed it and ordered the Minerals Commission to take administrative control of the operation, with an orderly transition.
The legal basis is the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), which requires ministerial approval for transfers of mineral rights and lets the state revoke leases for breaches. This was a final ruling on appeal, not a preliminary notice — the distinction that makes it stick.
The findings behind the revocation
The government’s review committee laid out the numbers. It found US$2.56 million in unpaid mineral-rights fees, GH¢86.8 million (about US$7.4 million) in outstanding royalties and GH¢290.5 million (about US$24.8 million) in tax arrears — a combined GH¢377 million (about US$32 million) in royalties and tax owed. The committee also said US$224 million had been moved to related parties abroad between 2020 and 2024. These are the state’s own findings, not third-party allegations.
The compliance breaches went beyond money. Regulators cited unauthorised subleasing and assignment of mineral rights without ministerial approval, mining without approved operating plans, missing environmental and forestry permits, and the presence of Chinese nationals running illegal ‘galamsey’ pits on the concessions. Taken together, they formed the case the minister upheld.
An ownership dispute in the background
Adamus Resources’ ownership is itself contested. The structure has been described as 90% held by an Australian parent and 10% by the Government of Ghana as a carried interest — but a purported sale of the majority stake, now claimed by Nguvu Mining, has been challenged in court, and a High Court earlier installed an interim management committee. The Minerals Commission’s takeover adds a state hand to an already tangled situation.
For investors and operators across West Africa, the message is blunt: Ghana is willing to pull leases from a producing mine, not just junior explorers, when it concludes the rules were broken. That raises the compliance bar — and the political risk — for anyone holding Ghanaian gold ground.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Ghana’s minister actually decide?
On 10 August 2026, Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah upheld the Minerals Commission’s revocation of Adamus Resources’ three mining leases and ordered the commission to take administrative control of the mine.
Why were the leases revoked?
A government review committee cited unpaid fees and tax arrears totalling roughly GH¢377 million (about US$32 million), unauthorised subleasing, missing environmental permits, and illegal galamsey mining on the concessions.
Where are the concessions?
They are the Akango, Salman and Nkroful concessions in the Ellembelle District of Ghana’s Western Region.
Sources
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