Ghana just made $3 billion in only four months—without discovering a single new gold mine. So how did they pull it off? Here's a hint: Captain Ibrahim Traoré had something to do with it. But what’s the real story behind this unexpected windfall? Let’s dive in.

Sitting firmly in Africa's Golden Triangle with South Africa and Sudan, it was a top-tier producer. But in spite of this natural wealth, the nation hardly ever benefited from its hidden gems. Year after year, billions of dollars' worth of gold left Ghana, but only remnants returned to the country's economy.

Lack of ownership was the issue, not a shortage of gold. With everything but no control, this has been the silent tragedy of Ghana's mining industry. Foreign multinational corporations with headquarters in Canada, the UK, South Africa, and Australia were primarily in charge of running the nation's gold mines.

Under private contracts, these businesses extracted the gold, processed it abroad, and then sold it to customers throughout the world. The role of Ghana? Take a little cut, supply the dirt, and avoid the boardrooms where the real money is earned. The gold wasn't the only thing that remained.

It leaves behind data, pricing control, and profit transparency. Numerous mining companies underreported their profits, took use of legal loopholes, or just set up their operations in ways that allowed for tax evasion. The riches had already vanished abroad, concealed in offshore accounts and business spreadsheets, by the time government officials became involved.

Ghanaians pondered for years how we could have so many resources and yet face unemployment, debt, and a weak currency. So far, the response has been silence. Silence thereafter became the norm. Early in 2025, however, numbers—rather than a protest or a politician—broke that stillness.

Silent, emotionless figures. Ghana's gold earnings soared to $2.7 billion between January and April. That is more than three times what it made during the same time frame only two years prior.

Furthermore, in just four months, the quantity of gold exported virtually doubled, rising from about 7,500 kilograms in early 2023 to over 30,000 kilograms. These were neither estimations or optimistic forecasts. These were actual transactions that were documented in Ghana's central bank's books and monitored by the country's customs department.

Naturally, people wanted to know where all of this originated. Was there a fresh gold deposit discovered by Ghana? Did the output of mining suddenly increase overnight? The response was much more significant and fascinating. There was always gold. Ghana simply stopped allowing it to disappear.

It was not the mines that changed. Who was in charge of the exits changed. Ghana wasn't allowing private corporations to control what was left on the ground or where it went for the first time.

Now a gatekeeper was present. A fresh idea that wasn't from Accra was standing outside that fence. It originated in Ouagadougou, a nearby capital.

The Ghanaian government had not simply happened onto a fortunate quarter, you see. They were no longer content to be a passive participant in the mining industry after studying something and observing someone. Motivated by fresh leadership on the continent, they had taken a very conscious decision.

However, we must examine the impact that led to that change in order to comprehend how a silent policy decision generated billions of dollars in unexpected revenue. Not even the African Union, not the International Monetary Fund, and not a think tank. It came from Captain Ibrahim Traoré, a man in a green beret, a soldier rather than a scholar, a leader who had seized a nation that was in disarray and dared to defy the laws of international economics.

The new model was not created in Ghana. But they didn't hesitate when they saw it. They modified it.

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⁣In this powerful talk, ⁣Nana Baffour Amankwatia delves into the complex and often misunderstood concept of genocide. He provides a detailed analysis of its historical context, definitions, and implications for marginalized communities. Hilliard emphasizes the importance of recognizing the various forms of genocide that have affected populations throughout history, urging viewers to understand the profound impact it has on cultural identity and human rights. Join us for this enlightening discussion that seeks to clarify the meaning of genocide and its relevance in today's society.

Sankɔfa Journey 2025: Nkran (Accra) & Oguaa (Cape Coast) Watch this chapter of our journey, then join us in Ghana for the 28th Sankɔfa Journey—featuring the 4th Abibitumi…

Learn more: https://www.sankofajourney.com
Source: Decade of Our Repatriation YouTube channel.

Director of Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society
Author of Between Distinction and Extinction: Harmonisation and Standardisation of African Languages

A conversation with one of the worlds leading Pan-African linguists & founder of the Pan-African Literacy Project - discovering the common roots in African languages in order to chart a course to Africas future development. In this conversation, we will explore the relationship between Language & political, economic & scientific development. We will asses whether the many languages in Africa are an asset or hinderance. We will look at what it means to harmonise & standardise African Languages.

⁣Jada Kingdom ft Skillibeng - Love Story (Audio)

Ama numbering the order in which the Mdw Ntr (Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs) are read.

Fire, earth, water and air were presented by Aristotle as the basic elements constituting the physical universe.

In this video these for elements are shown as being in reality states of consciousness characterizing the elevation of beings from the fall to the regaining of the lost expression of divinity.

The ideas of this video have been inspired by our book titled BUKÔNGO available here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kiatezua

For too long, the history of Ancient Egypt has been written by others outside of Africa. Onuora Abuah, travels the length of Egypt, along the Nile, to establish just how much Egyptian culture owes to the mother continent it sits in.

Part 1 of KMT: A Journey through the Black Land, begins at Giza and Saqqara, where pyramid building in the region was at its height. We then travel south to Minya, which showed Egypt's contribution to Christianity.

This is a 4-Part series produced by AEA FILMS LTD, presented and written by Onuora Abuah, the first African born filmmaker to create a project of this magnitude, about the most historically debated country in the world.

⁣"AND THEN" is a community-focused show that shines a light on the real issues affecting ordinary people. Through honest conversations and powerful stories, the show explores the challenges faced by communities and gives a voice to those seeking solutions. As hosts of the show, we go directly into communities to meet people where they are, listen to their experiences firsthand, and engage with local residents about the issues that matter most to them. "AND THEN" aims to inform, inspire, and encourage positive change by addressing community problems and helping to spark meaningful solutions.

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December 1960.

Footage of deposed Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba after his arrest by troops loyal to Colonel Joseph Desire Mobutu.

Lumumba would later be executed by a Belgian commanded firing squad.

Source of footage: Framepool.

Jawanza Kunjufu presentation of Maat vs Hip hop

Lecture presented by Prof. Robert Hill (in 2007) as part of the National Library's Distinguished Lecture Series. The National Library of Jamaica (NLJ) is relentless in its efforts to foster a nation knowledgeable about its history, heritage and information sources. To that end for the past four years the NLJ has hosted a series of Distinguished Lectures. The National Library of Jamaica is proud of its lectures thus far and the sorts of discussions they have sparked.