Traditional and government leaders in Ghana’s Central Region have joined forces to call for rapid parliamentary ratification of the Ewoyaa Lithium Project, affirming its potential to generate more than 3,000 jobs and drive regional development.

Speaking at a grand durbar during the Odambea Festival, Paramount Chief Okogyeman Okese Essando IX, Central Regional Minister Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah and Member of Parliament Dr. Ebenezer Prince Arhin together urged lawmakers to approve the project before year-end to unlock its socio-economic benefits.

The Ewoyaa Lithium Project, led by Atlantic Lithium Ghana Ltd., covers the Nkusukum and Mfantseman areas and sits on a 15-year mining lease signed in October 2023. It promises an estimated 800 direct jobs and 2,700 indirect positions, plus a community development fund directing 1 % of annual revenues to local roads, schools and health facilities.

Chief Essando expressed frustration that progress has stalled, noting that power bills still wait to be paid and resettlement efforts remain on ice due to the ratification delay. He stressed the urgency of action to realise the project’s potential for youth employment and local prosperity.

MP Dr. Arhin pledged to secure majority-local employment when operations begin, urging the company to recruit youth for roles such as machine operation, driving and secretarial support.

Minister Eduamoah urged communities to prepare responsibly, cautioning against illegal mining activities and stressing the need for regulatory groundwork even before production starts.

As Ghana competes globally in critical minerals and lithium gains strategic importance for energy transition, the swift ratification of the Ewoyaa project is seen as a pivotal step in turning promise into tangible progress for the Central Region and the nation.