Ghana Cobalt Scandal: 2057 Tons Exported Without State Royalties
Ghana lost up to $66 billion in potential income from untaxed cobalt exports since March 2025.
Ghana earned no royalties from 2057 tons of cobalt shipped to China between March 2025 and September 22, 2026, according to a Daily Maverick investigative report. The foreign mining firm responsible paid customs but bypassed Ghanaian revenue systems entirely. State institutions including the Mineral Development Fund and the Ghana Revenue Authority failed to collect any royalties despite the commodity's legal exemptions for foreign exporters. The report confirms Ghana's 1986 mining law exempts exports from royalties when processed abroad.
This gap cost the nation billions while foreign entities controlled the supply chain. The same loophole enabled massive cocaine hauls seized abroad, with Dutch and Belgian authorities stopping 12.4 tonnes of Ghana-linked cocaine in Amsterdam, Antwerp and Dunkirk since June 2025. Local police recovered just 3.6 tonnes domestically during the same period.
Cobalt exports followed a pattern seen in drug trafficking. Dutch authorities seized nearly 4,500 kg of cocaine hidden in wood from Ghana in June 2025, while French police recovered 3.9 tonnes disguised as plastic waste in September 2026. The Pedu Junction cocaine bust in Cape Coast remains Ghana's largest seizure at 3,319.68 kg with a $350 million street value.
The Amsterdam case illustrates systemic exposure. A Dutch fugitive known as "Bolle Jos" allegedly coordinated shipments through Ghanaian ports. Customs officials cleared containers without triggering royalty assessments, allowing foreign firms to export minerals and narcotics with minimal oversight.
