Government grants Adamus Resources reprieve, orders 12-month turnaround plan
The government of Ghana has granted a reprieve to Adamus Resources Limited following a meeting at the Presidency aimed at resolving the dispute between the mining firm and the state.
In a statement issued by the Presidency Communications on Friday, August 21, 2026, and signed by the Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission and Adamus Resources have been directed to present a twelve-month road map to turn the mine around.
According to the statement, the road map will include the formation of a six-member management team, with three members each from Adamus and Government, to supervise the turnaround of the mine.
The intervention is to salvage what is described as one of the few operating indigenous large-scale mines in the country.
The road map is also expected to include a plan for settling liabilities owed by Adamus to the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), financial institutions and suppliers.
It will further explore means of injecting fresh capital by inviting additional partners to take up equity in the mining operation.
The two sides are expected to present the road map to the Presidency within two weeks.
BACKGROUND
On April 26, 2026, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, revoked three mining leases of Adamus Resources Limited – Akango, Salman and Nkroful concessions in the Western Region – on the recommendation of the Minerals Commission.
The Commission cited multiple breaches of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), including unlawfully sub-contracting mining operations without ministerial consent, mining without approved operating plans or permits from the Chief Inspector of Mines, and operating without EPA approvals.
The report also alleged that foreign nationals, particularly Chinese nationals, were engaged in illegal mining (galamsey) on the company’s concessions, in violation of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995). The breaches were said to have caused significant environmental degradation.
Adamus, led by CEO Angela List, petitioned the Minister, denied all allegations as “unfounded and contrived,” and described the revocation as an abuse of power.
An interim management committee was then set up to oversee operations while an independent review committee assessed the petition.
On August 10, 2026, the Ministry upheld the revocation after the review. The review also revealed financial liabilities of $2.56 million in unpaid mineral rights fees, GH¢86.8 million in unpaid royalties and GH¢290.5 million in tax arrears.
The Ministry subsequently clarified that Adamus’s assets were “not for sale” despite speculations.
The new directive from the Presidency now signals a shift from outright revocation to a collaborative turnaround to save jobs and protect local investment.
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