Mahama says he is unworried by Russian aid in the Sahel

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama said in London on Wednesday he is not concerned by Russian security assistance in the Sahel and that anyone committed to fighting terrorism is welcome in the region.

Mahama blamed the delay in deploying a West African standby force against insecurity on the lack of a UN resolution to help provide the finance needed.

"My opinion on this is that anybody who is committed to the fight against terrorism is welcome," he said at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London.

Ghana aims to ban exports of raw materials by 2030, he said, to increase the value added from critical minerals. He named lithium, manganese, bauxite and gold.

Some 70 per cent of Ghana's gold is already refined in the country before export. Mahama said he was "sure that soon we refine 100% of gold".

On cocoa, he said he aimed to process at least 50 per cent of beans locally, leaving only 50 per cent of any year's production available for export.

"That should bring some of the processing home and create jobs for people," he said.

The president travelled to address the FT Africa Summit 2026, where discussions focus on mobilising capital for African economies amid shifts in the global economic order. The two-day event brings together heads of state, business executives and institutional investors to discuss ways to accelerate inclusive growth and attract investment across the continent.

Mahama chairs the Presidential Council of the Accra Reset initiative and was expected to discuss the opportunities and challenges shaping Africa's economic outlook, according to the announcement of his visit. Details of any specific policy announcements were not provided.

After his engagements in the United Kingdom, he will travel to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, to chair the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa.

At the forum he is scheduled to present the State of Security in Africa Report on Saturday, 24 October 2026, in his capacity as chairperson.