Mineral royalty receipts are projected to reach GH¢9 billion by the end of 2026, following a strong performance in the first half of the year, the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) has disclosed.
MIIF recorded GH¢5.3 billion in mineral royalty receipts during the first six months of 2026, putting the Fund on course to surpass previous annual performances and increase the financial returns Ghana derives from its mineral resources.
Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, Mrs Justina Nelson, disclosed this when Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie paid a courtesy call on the Fund in Accra as part of his institutional visits.
Mrs Nelson said the performance reflected efforts to improve the mobilisation, management and investment of mineral revenues for the benefit of the country.
According to her, MIIF collected GH¢2 billion in mineral royalties during the first half of 2025, compared with GH¢5.3 billion over the same period in 2026.
She said the Fund also recorded a 5.4 per cent improvement in royalty performance in 2025 compared with 2024, while its income for the year reached GH¢1.1 billion.
Maximising Ghana’s Mineral Wealth
Mrs Nelson said MIIF’s mandate went beyond collecting mineral royalties to investing strategically across Ghana’s mining value chain to generate sustainable returns for the state.
She explained that the Fund invested through equities, fixed-income instruments and alternative investments as part of efforts to maximise the long-term value of Ghana’s mineral wealth.
She said MIIF was also strengthening its focus on environmental, social and governance considerations within the mining sector, particularly as the country confronted the effects of illegal mining.
Mrs Nelson described illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, as a major threat to the environment and water bodies and called for stronger institutional action to address the problem.
She also called for greater collaboration between MIIF and the Judiciary, particularly in obtaining legal expertise on the structuring of transactions and other investment arrangements.
Chief Justice Commends MIIF
Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie commended MIIF for its performance, saying it demonstrated the returns that could be achieved through prudent and efficient management of public resources.
“Two per cent has yielded so much. I don’t know how,” he said, expressing surprise at the scale of the Fund’s achievements relative to its statutory allocation.
He urged the management of MIIF to sustain its performance while maintaining integrity, collaboration and accountability in the management of state resources.
According to him, public institutions have a responsibility to ensure that resources entrusted to them are managed efficiently and translated into tangible benefits for Ghanaians.
Chief Justice Proposes Specialised Galamsey Courts
The Chief Justice also proposed the establishment of specialised courts to handle illegal mining and related cases as part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s fight against galamsey.
He described illegal mining as a major national challenge with serious consequences for the country’s environment, water bodies and mining communities.
He said the Judiciary could play a stronger role in addressing the menace but stressed that success would require coordinated action among the relevant state institutions.
Board Chairman of MIIF, Mr Richard Kwame Asante, welcomed the proposal, saying the environmental, economic and governance implications of illegal mining required a comprehensive national response.
“At MIIF, we believe that the fight against illegal mining requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” he said.
Mr Asante reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to transparency, accountability, integrity, professionalism and respect for the rule of law in managing public resources.
He said these principles were critical to ensuring that Ghana’s mineral revenues were managed in the interests of both present and future generations.
MIIF was established under the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act, 2018 (Act 978), as amended, to manage and maximise the value of mineral royalty and dividend income accruing to Ghana.
The Fund is mandated to mobilise and monetise mineral royalties and invest proceeds to generate sustainable returns for the country.
