The announcement of Mytilineos as GIADEC’s strategic partner for Project 3A will be the turning point for the country’s aluminium industry - Mr. Michael Ansah CEO, Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC)

In 2018, Michael Ansah was appointed by the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to lead the development of an Integrated Aluminium Industry in Ghana. GIADEC is harnessing Ghana’s 900 million tonnes bauxite reserves, its ownership of Valco, as well as its minority stake in Ghana Bauxite Company Ltd., to build and establish a fully Integrated Aluminium Industry (IAI), leveraging the full value chain of bauxite mining, alumina refining, and aluminium smelting, and giving credence to the President’s vision of a “Ghana Beyond Aid”. He holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management, UK.

Prior to his appointment as CEO of GIADEC, Michael was Senior Vice President (SVP) at Dell Technologies, with responsibilities for Global operations across over 180 countries. In a career spanning over 30 years, he has held a number of senior executive leadership roles. He was a Director/Associate Partner at PWC Consulting/IBM Business Consulting Services. He was also Group Director at Regus Plc., a member of the IWG, and served as CEO for the Ghana Millennium Challenge Account Programme, developing a national strategy for a multi-sectoral programme to remove constraints to economic growth.

AL Circle: Could you tell us about the vision behind the Integrated Aluminium Industry (IAI) in Ghana, spearheaded by GIADEC?

Mr. Michael Ansah: Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah envisioned Ghana as an autonomous, modern, industrial state.  With a bauxite mine, operational since the 1940’s already in existence in Awaso (Western-North region of Ghana), an integrated aluminium industry (IAI) was one of the vehicles he earmarked to achieve this vision.  He secured investments to build the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) smelter and the Akosombo Dam which was necessary to provide cheap and reliable power.  The Akosombo Dam project was at the time, “the largest single investment in the economic development plans of Ghana.” It was completed in 1965 while the smelter was completed in 1967.  All that was needed to make the dream of an IAI a reality was an alumina refinery.  The plan was for the smelter to eventually provide the necessary funding to establish the refinery.