… Government and private company financed operation The Government of Ghana contributed GH¢33,721,786 towards the operation, while Engineers and Planners, owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama, provided GH¢16 million. …
… Government and private company financed operation The Government of Ghana contributed GH¢33,721,786 towards the operation, while Engineers and Planners, owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama, provided GH¢16 million. …
… The government also reported that GH¢84,274 was spent on repatriating two mortal remains, while Engineers and Planners (E&P) contributed GH¢60 million towards the exercise. …
… odation in South Africa, medical care and hospitalisation. An additional GH¢10,802,000 was used for reintegration and transportation allowances, while GH¢84,274 was spent on the repatriation of two mortal remains. The Government spent GH¢33,721,786, while Engineers and Planners …
The government has clarified that it spent GH¢33.72 million on the emergency evacuation of 1,900 Ghanaians from South Africa, while businessman Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners contributed an additional GH¢16 million towards the exercise. …
… Of the total amount, the government financed GH¢33.72 million, while businessman Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners contributed GH¢16 million towards the exercise. …
The Damang Mine, operated by Engineers and Planners (E&P), a wholly Ghanaian-owned company, has opened up employment opportunities for nearly 400 people barely four months into operations, with 180 already at work. …
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed a detailed financial breakdown of the GH¢49.72 million evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks, with GH¢27.18 million spent on chartered flights—the operation's single largest expenditure. The exercise brought 1,964 Ghanaians home between 27 May and 4 September 2026, with additional costs covering commercial airline tickets, ground transportation, food, accommodation, and medical services.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed a detailed financial breakdown of the GH¢49.72 million evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks, with GH¢27.18 million spent on chartered flights—the operation's single largest expenditure. The exercise brought 1,964 Ghanaians home between 27 May and 4 September 2026, with additional costs covering commercial airline tickets, ground transportation, food, accommodation, and medical services.
Ghana's evacuation of 1,964 citizens from South Africa between May and September 2026 cost GH¢49.72 million, with GH¢27.18 million spent on chartered flights alone. Additional costs included GH¢9.42 million for commercial airline tickets, GH¢997,644 for ground transportation, GH¢634,350 for food, and smaller amounts for accommodation, medical services, and communications.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted a 200-page report to the parliamentary minority detailing the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa between May and September 2026, which cost GH¢49,721,786 in total government and private sector spending.
Parliament's Minority has questioned the government's reported GH¢49 million expenditure for evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa, requesting detailed records to verify the spending despite supporting the evacuation itself.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will establish a Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund to finance emergency assistance, evacuations, and repatriations for Ghanaians in distress abroad. The announcement follows the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa during a resurgence of xenophobic attacks.
International relations expert Dr Ishmael Hlovor has defended the government's GH¢49.7 million expenditure on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks, arguing that emergency operations naturally incur higher costs because services such as flights cannot be secured at planned-travel rates.
The government disclosed that the total cost of evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa amounted to GH¢49,721,786, covering flights, transportation, accommodation, medical care, and repatriation of remains. The Government of Ghana provided GH¢33,721,786, while businessman Ibrahim Mahama and his company Engineers and Planners donated the remaining GH¢16 million.
The government spent GH¢33.72 million on the emergency evacuation of 1,900 Ghanaians from South Africa, while businessman Ibrahim Mahama's Engineers and Planners contributed GH¢16 million, bringing the total cost to GH¢49.72 million, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced that 1,964 Ghanaian nationals have been evacuated from South Africa following xenophobic attacks and deteriorating security conditions. The evacuation, which ran from May 27 to September 4, 2026, prioritised vulnerable groups and was undertaken using both chartered and commercial flights, with Ghana being the first country to evacuate its nationals in response to the escalating tensions.
The Damang Mine, operated by Ghana-owned Engineers and Planners (E&P), has recruited nearly 400 people barely four months into operations following its transition to indigenous ownership in April 2026, with 180 already at work and 60% of employees expected to come from local communities.
An opinion piece analyses the Bank of Ghana's potential role in supporting government efforts to indigenise Ghana's mining sector, as locally-owned firms like Engineers and Planners Limited take over concessions such as the Damang Mine from foreign operators.
The Minority Caucus in Parliament criticised the Minerals Commission for alleged deficiencies in six mining lease agreements approved by the House, with the Ranking Member on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee accusing the Commission of failing to exercise adequate due diligence and arguing that Parliament rushed the ratification process.
Ghana's government has announced a GH¢5,500 support package for Ghanaian evacuees returning from South Africa, comprising a GH¢5,000 reintegration grant, GH¢500 travel allowance, relief items, and NHIS registration. The two-phase evacuation exercise is expected to bring home nearly 2,000 Ghanaians, with the first phase having brought 926 returnees and the second phase expected to facilitate the return of about 1,000 more.
A Ghanaian private citizen has petitioned the Council of State to intervene in debate over Gold Fields Ghana Limited's Tarkwa mining lease, warning that non-renewal could damage investor confidence. The petition comes after the Institute of Economic Affairs urged government to refuse renewal and transfer the concession to Ghanaian ownership, citing concerns that Ghana has not received adequate benefits from mineral extraction.
Businessman Ibrahim Mahama has expressed his intention to support the innovation work of Ghanaian technology developer Naamgwinaa Samuel, whose AI-powered projects aim to solve real-world challenges. The support was announced via Mahama's Special Aide Rafik Mahama on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
EMY Africa held a networking event at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. on June 25, bringing together business leaders, government officials, diplomats and cultural figures from Africa and the United States to promote economic and cultural ties between the continent and its global diaspora.
Businessman Ibrahim Mahama visited the Black Stars' camp in Rhode Island and promised a special financial reward for the team's performances at the FIFA World Cup, saying he had withheld the money until seeing good performances on the pitch.
The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South has invoked the Right to Information Act to request official records relating to the Damang Mining Lease awarded to Engineers and Planners Limited, including documents on the tender process, lease terms, state payments, production records from 2023 to 2026, and details on gold processed during a transition period following expiry of the previous lease.
The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South has formally requested access to documents and records relating to the Damang Mining Lease granted to Engineers and Planners Limited, invoking the Right to Information Act 2019. The MP is seeking disclosure of lease terms, payments made by the company, production returns from 2023–2026, stockpile details, and records of any transition management following the competitive tender process concluded in April 2026.
The National Disaster Management Organisation in Wassa Amenfi West Municipality has appealed to businessman Ibrahim Mahama to dredge the Tano and Samre rivers to help curb persistent flooding in the area. Heavy rainfall caused the rivers to overflow, collapsing more than 24 buildings and displacing numerous residents across several communities since June 14.
Ghana and South Africa are engaged in a public diplomatic dispute after Ghana's embassy released video footage of evacuees aboard an aircraft. South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola accused Ghana of "incomplete information and outright misinformation devoid of any diplomatic decorum," citing concerns that high-profile repatriation media campaigns distort regional migration realities and inflame local tensions.
Engineer and Planners CEO Ibrahim Mahama has offered 100 job opportunities to Ghanaian nationals evacuated from South Africa following xenophobic attacks. According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, about 200 jobs have been secured overall from private entities to support the long-term professional rehabilitation of returnees.
Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa welcomed the second batch of about 340 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa following xenophobic attacks, assuring them the government views them as treasures and valuable national assets deserving of protection and support despite losses incurred.
Billionaire businessman Ibrahim Mahama has offered 100 immediate job opportunities to Ghanaians evacuated from xenophobic violence in South Africa, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. A total of 200 employment openings have been secured by the state in partnership with private companies for the returnees.
Business magnates and multinational corporations have partnered with Ghana's government to provide livelihood restoration and economic integration for citizens evacuated from South Africa following anti-immigrant violence. The Foreign Affairs Minister announced the private sector intervention while welcoming the second batch of 345 evacuees at Accra International Airport.
The government will submit the Damang Gold Mine lease agreement to parliament for ratification following its takeover by Engineers and Planners after Gold Fields' lease expired. The Lands and Natural Resources Minister said suspending operations pending ratification was not viable given the thousands of jobs and economic activities linked to the mine.
Indigenous mining firm Damang Gold Mine Limited has invested $250 million in a fleet of heavy-duty mining equipment including Liebherr excavators, 30 triple 777 dump trucks, and 15 Caterpillar 395 excavators. The investment is expected to increase production capacity, improve operational efficiency, and create employment opportunities.
A citizen has filed a petition with CHRAJ demanding an investigation into President John Mahama over conflict-of-interest allegations related to the takeover of the Damang Mine by the President's brother, Ibrahim Mahama, whose firm E&P received the concession from Gold Fields in April 2026. The petitioner invokes constitutional articles barring public officers from placing themselves in situations of personal interest conflict.
The University of Mines and Technology has held its 2026 Mini Congregation Ceremony in Tarkwa, graduating 95 students and committing to train 1,000 coders this academic year in support of the government's digitalisation agenda. The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations has donated 200 laptops and provided 2,000 slots for students and staff to obtain Google certifications.