GoldBod CEO: More Africans must own the mineral wealth of the continent
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is launching gold-backed tokenised investment assets to ensure more Africans own the mineral wealth of the continent, its CEO announced, declaring that resource-rich Africa must no longer remain value-poor.
GoldBod CEO Sammy Gyamfi made the call at the EMY Africa Rising Symposium in London, where he unveiled plans to democratise access to gold ownership through digital tokens backed by physical gold reserves. “Just in case you are yet to hear, we will soon be rolling out our gold-backed tokenisation investment assets which will open the way for more Africans to own the mineral wealth of Africa,” Gyamfi told an audience of diaspora leaders, industry executives, and policymakers.
The initiative addresses what Mr Gyamfi called Africa’s defining paradox: a continent abundant in minerals yet impoverished by the value created from them. “Africa is rich in minerals, yet too often poor in the value created from them. We export what nature gave us and import what human ingenuity made of it,” he said.
Plan
The tokenisation plan, being developed with regulatory oversight from Ghana’s Securities and Exchange Commission, will allow everyday Africans both on the continent and in the diaspora to purchase digital tokens backed by physical gold held in custody by GoldBod. The agency will handle assaying, verification, and vaulting of the underlying gold reserves.
Growth
The announcement comes as Ghana’s gold sector experiences record growth. Official data shows the country earned approximately $20 billion from gold exports in 2025, more than double the previous year’s figure. The artisanal and small-scale mining sector alone contributed about $10.8 billion following reforms spearheaded by GoldBod.
Checking smuggling
He noted that GoldBod has already helped address gold smuggling, formalized the gold trade supply chain, strengthened foreign exchange generation, and created stronger opportunities for investment in gold production, responsible sourcing, and value addition in Ghana.
