Stopping a False Start: Identifying Corruption Risks in Ghana’s Nascent Lithium Sector

Introduction

Ghana’s mining sector is expanding from gold to green. The country is ramping up production of key minerals needed for the energy transition, with lithium at the center of this plan. Since the first deal was proposed in 2024, Ghana has debated how to learn from past mistakes and ensure that the lithium deal best serves the country. Yet one element that could undermine this ambition has received insufficient attention: the risk of corruption. 

We know that corruption is a high risk across transition minerals. NRGI’s research has identified over 50 cases of corruption risk in the licensing and contracting stage alone, and similar problems in the midstream part of the value chain. 

In other lithium producers, both new and old, we have seen how corruption has meant that citizens have received fewer benefits from mining, while communities and nature have suffered. Common corruption risks have appeared across countries, such as licensing irregularities, opaque pricing structures, and the involvement of people or companies with a worrying track record. 

Drawing on evidence from elsewhere in Ghana’s mining sector, and the experience of other lithium producers, we outline key corruption risks below, the risk factors that make them more likely to occur, and initial ideas for how to tackle them.