Ibrahim Mahama doubles Damang jobs, increases gold volume

….But misses US$80 million airport deadline

Six months after Ghanaian businessman Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners (E&P) took over the Damang Gold Mine from Gold Fields Ghana Limited, the company has more than doubled its permanent workforce, increased mining activities and outlined ambitious expansion plans.

The mine’s permanent workforce has increased from 207 employees at the time of the takeover in April 2026 to 426, representing an increase of more than 100 percent, while monthly mining volumes have risen significantly.

However, the company has missed its initial six-month deadline for constructing an airport near the mine, with the project still at the earthworks stage following challenges encountered during construction.

The People Manager of the mine, Joseph Nana Ansah Banful, disclosed the employment figures during a community engagement forum in Tarkwa-Damang, which was broadcast on Accra-based Asempa FM.

According to him, the company immediately regularised the employment status of 120 workers who had previously been engaged through labour-hire arrangements under the former management.

“Upon taking over the mine, in the first month, we moved 120 employees from labour hire to the mainstream,” Mr Banful said, and was quoted by “Billionaires Africa”, an online publication.

He explained that the decision formed part of management’s commitment to improving job security, strengthening employee welfare and ensuring greater stability in the mine’s operations.

Of the 426 permanent employees, only one is an expatriate, while approximately 62 percent are drawn from the 10 communities surrounding the mine.

The figure exceeds the 60 percent local employment target established by the company when it assumed control of the mining operation.

Including contractors and other workers, the mine currently provides employment opportunities for approximately 2,300 people.

Management expects the permanent workforce to exceed 500 employees by the end of December 2026 as operations continue to expand.

Beyond employment, the company has recorded substantial improvements in mining activities since taking over the facility.

Monthly mining volumes increased from 1.4 million tonnes in May to three million tonnes in September, bringing the total volume of material moved since the takeover to approximately 11.1 million tonnes.

The Mine Manager responsible for mining operations, Frank Dankyi Agyei, disclosed that freshly mined material currently accounts for about 60 per cent of the ore processed at the mine.

He dismissed suggestions that the company was relying primarily on stockpiles inherited from Gold Fields rather than undertaking fresh mining activities.

“Claims that we are only treating existing stockpiles are absolutely false,” Mr Agyei stated.

He explained that active mining operations were ongoing at the Amoanda and Juno pits, where the company had deployed heavy-duty Liebherr and Hitachi excavators to improve production efficiency.

Plans are also underway to expand mining activities at the Rex pits as part of efforts to increase production capacity.

The company is additionally undertaking repairs on 12 dump trucks transferred from Tarkwa to support operations at Damang.

Another 28 Caterpillar 785 haul trucks are expected to be deployed to strengthen the mine’s equipment fleet.

Management is targeting higher operational capacity by the middle of 2027, with additional investments in equipment, infrastructure and mining operations expected to support the expansion.

Since the takeover, gold produced at Damang has been sold to the Ghana Gold Board, the state institution responsible for purchasing and exporting gold.

However, the company has yet to disclose the total quantity of gold produced since it assumed control of the mine.

E&P officially took control of the Damang Gold Mine on April 18, 2026, following the government’s decision not to renew the mining lease previously held by Gold Fields Ghana Limited.

The government subsequently opened a competitive tender process restricted to wholly Ghanaian-owned companies, paving the way for E&P to acquire the operation.

The transaction was supported by a US$205 million syndicated financing arrangement involving Stanbic Bank Ghana and Standard Bank of South Africa.

The acquisition represented a significant development in Ghana’s mining industry, particularly in efforts to promote greater indigenous participation in the ownership and management of large-scale mining assets.

Mr Mahama, founder and Chief Executive Officer of E&P, is the younger brother of President John Dramani Mahama.

Despite the improvements in employment and mining operations, the company’s much-publicized airport project has failed to meet its initial completion deadline.

During the April 18 handover ceremony, Mr Mahama assured residents that an airport would be constructed within six months to improve transportation between Damang and Accra.

“Within six months, Damang will have an airport, such that we can fly to Accra easily,” he promised.

That deadline expired on October 18, 2026, with construction still at the preliminary earthworks stage.

The mine’s Community Relations Manager, Ramy Oboro, explained that the project had undergone substantial modifications, evolving from a relatively modest airstrip into a larger aviation facility.

The revised project involves the construction of a runway measuring approximately two kilometres, which the company says is intended to accommodate aircraft including Boeing 737 and 787 models.

According to Mr Oboro, the initial phase involves levelling the proposed airport site, but progress has been affected by hard rock formations encountered during excavation.

The second phase will involve the construction of airport buildings and the installation of electrical, signalling and other aviation equipment.

“The airport construction is anticipated to cost us not less than US$80 million for both Phase One and Phase Two,” Mr Oboro disclosed.

The project is also expected to affect some farmers whose lands fall within the proposed development area.

Management has indicated that affected farmers will be compensated and relocated where necessary.

However, the number of farmers likely to be affected and the total compensation package have not been disclosed.

Traditional authorities within the Damang catchment area have welcomed the company’s efforts to retain existing employees, recruit additional workers and improve infrastructure.

The chiefs have particularly commended management for maintaining employment opportunities following the transition from Gold Fields to E&P.

They have also acknowledged the commencement of work on the road linking Damang to Subri, which forms part of a broader proposed transport corridor towards Cape Coast.

The road project is expected to improve accessibility, facilitate the movement of goods and services and enhance economic activities within communities surrounding the mine.

Meanwhile, E&P remains locked in a major commercial dispute with Gold Fields over alleged underpayments relating to mining contracts at the Tarkwa and Damang operations.

E&P is pursuing an arbitration claim estimated at US$740 million, alleging that Gold Fields failed to pay the full amounts due for services rendered under their contractual arrangements.

Gold Fields has rejected the allegations and is contesting the claim.

E&P continues to hold a mining contract at Gold Fields’ larger Tarkwa operation, notwithstanding the ongoing dispute.

Separately, E&P has denied allegations of corporate espionage levelled against it in July by an investor involved in another gold mining project in northern Ghana.

The developments come as management of the Damang mine seeks to consolidate the transition to indigenous ownership, expand production, increase employment opportunities and strengthen the mine’s contribution to Ghana’s economy.

With permanent employment expected to exceed 500 by the end of the year and mining capacity targeted for further expansion in 2027, attention will also focus on whether the company can deliver its outstanding infrastructure commitments, particularly the proposed US$80 million airport.