BY Daniel Bampoe
Zijin Golden Ridge Limited, operators of the Akyem Gold Mine at New Abirem in the Eastern Region, has disclosed that its operations contributed approximately US$579.03 million (GH¢7.05 billion) to the economy in 2025, with a significant portion of its expenditure directed towards local procurement and businesses.
The company made the disclosure at the maiden Eastern Business Expo 2026, organised under the theme, “Unlocking Opportunities for Sustainable Trade, Tourism and Investment.”
Derek Boateng, speaking on behalf of the management and staff of Zijin Golden Ridge Limited, said the company’s participation in the Expo reflected its interest in strengthening local enterprise, attracting investment and promoting sustainable development in the Eastern Region.
According to Mr Boateng, the Akyem operation spent US$335.3 million, equivalent to GH¢4.19 billion, on locally procured goods and services, power and fuel in 2025.
He said the company viewed local procurement as an important pathway for businesses to participate in the economic value generated by mining operations.
“Every contract awarded locally goes to an enterprise that hires, trains and grows,” Mr Boateng said, stressing the need to expand the number of businesses in the Eastern Region capable of competing for contracts on the basis of quality, reliability and price.
He said the objective should not only be to enable Eastern Region businesses to secure contracts from mining companies, but also to build enterprises capable of competing across Ghana and internationally.
Beyond procurement, Zijin Golden Ridge highlighted employment and skills development as other areas through which mining investment could generate longer-term benefits for communities.
Mr Boateng disclosed that 1,235 people were engaged at the mine in 2025, with 597 coming from the company’s host communities.
He said the figures demonstrated the role of the mining operation in creating employment opportunities for people living within its immediate area of operation.
He also pointed to interventions undertaken through the company’s development initiatives. Through the Zijin Akyem Development Foundation (ZADeF), nearly 7,000 students have received scholarships, while the Akyem Vocational and Technical Institute is training 324 young people in trades including welding, electrical work, plumbing and masonry.
In addition, the company’s ASSIST apprenticeship programme enrolled 348 beneficiaries across 16 trades in 2025, while the Pempamsie Cooperative Credit Union had expanded its services to 4,691 customers, providing savings and credit opportunities to small businesses and residents in host communities.
Mr Boateng said such initiatives were important because the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) required more than physical infrastructure.
According to him, investment must also focus on building the skills, financial capacity and human capital needed to sustain businesses beyond individual projects.
He further argued that sustainability should remain at the centre of economic development in the Eastern Region, particularly because the region’s tourism prospects depend heavily on its forests, waterfalls, landscapes and communities.
Zijin Golden Ridge said it had therefore undertaken biodiversity, forest protection and reforestation initiatives, while exploring ways in which conservation could coexist with economic activity through agroforestry and community employment opportunities.
The company also highlighted measures being implemented within its mining operations to reduce its environmental footprint.
Mr Boateng disclosed that the Akyem mine had begun deploying electric haul trucks, describing the operation as the first gold mine in Ghana and West Africa to deploy the technology at that scale.
The Eastern Business Expo, according to the company, therefore provides a platform for businesses, investors, government institutions and other stakeholders to explore opportunities for trade and investment while addressing the need to protect the region’s natural resources.
Mr Boateng said Zijin Golden Ridge’s sponsorship of the eight-day Expo was not merely intended to provide corporate visibility but to create an opportunity for the company to listen to businesses and engage with stakeholders.
He commended the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council for initiating the Expo and expressed the company’s expectation that it would develop into a permanent feature on the region’s business calendar.
He said the long-term significance of the initiative would ultimately depend on what stakeholders do after the Expo and how they collectively translate discussions into sustainable businesses, investment, employment and development opportunities for the Eastern Region.
