Engineers and Planners Limited (E&P) Chief Executive Officer Ibrahim Mahama has laid out an expansive infrastructure agenda for Damang and surrounding communities following the formal takeover of the Damang Gold Mine, anchoring his commitments to what he described as a fully funded and commercially viable operational plan.
Speaking at the handover ceremony on Saturday, April 18, 2026, Mahama said the company had completed a rigorous financial assessment of the mine before proceeding with the acquisition. “We have done a bankable study, we looked at it, and noticed that we could do it,” he said.
He disclosed that financial institutions had responded with strong interest, with one bank committing US$650 million and another offering US$600 million in financing support, describing the competing proposals as evidence of investor confidence in the company’s plans.
The most striking of his announcements concerned aviation infrastructure. “We’ve applied for Damang to have an airport, and within six months, Damang will have an airport such that we can fly to Accra easily,” he said. He also outlined road connectivity improvements, pledging that a concrete road linking Damang to Cape Coast would be completed within two years.
Mahama further announced plans to build two major hospitals to improve healthcare delivery in the area and support the growing population expected from expanded mining activity. He also revealed plans for modern school facilities for communities around Damang, responding to proposals received from local youth groups.
The healthcare commitment directly addresses documented community concerns. Youth in Damang had raised alarm over the state of existing Community-based Health Planning and Services compounds, which lack the capacity to handle serious medical emergencies, forcing residents to travel long distances to Tarkwa for treatment. They warned that delays in accessing care have, in some cases, resulted in preventable deaths.
Mahama was direct in framing these pledges as binding commitments rather than aspirational talk. “I beg you, this is not political talk. This is real talk,” he told the gathering. “This is more than a business venture. I just want to prove that we can invest in ourselves in this country.”
He acknowledged that Damang presents significant operational challenges, describing its rock formations as among the toughest on the continent, a characteristic that reduces the lifespan of mining equipment and increases costs. He said the company has developed practical solutions and is prepared to make the necessary investments to sustain profitable operations.
E&P inherits the mine at a mature stage of its lifecycle. Output fell from 153,000 ounces in 2023 to 135,000 ounces in 2024, while all-in sustaining costs rose from US$1,679 to US$2,002 per ounce over the same period. Despite the production decline, the asset generated US$138 million in adjusted free cash flow in 2024, buoyed by elevated global gold prices.
The transition marks the end of more than two decades of Gold Fields’ operation at Damang, and the first time a major large-scale gold mine in Ghana has moved to full indigenous operational control. The award has drawn political scrutiny given that Ibrahim Mahama is the younger brother of President John Dramani Mahama, though the Minerals Commission has maintained that the tender was conducted transparently and on merit.
