President John Dramani Mahama has offered a rare personal reflection on the rise of his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, tracing his journey from a young student sent abroad during political uncertainty to a trailblazer in Ghana’s mining and engineering industry.
Addressing a gathering at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), President Mahama explained that during a period when their father was in political exile, some of the younger members of the family were relocated to England. The move, he said, was meant both to protect them from political harassment and to ensure their education continued uninterrupted.
One of those children was Ibrahim Mahama, who, according to the President, displayed an unusual curiosity for machines from an early age. He recalled how his brother would often take apart mechanical objects simply to understand how they functioned, a habit that gradually shaped his passion for engineering.
That interest deepened while Ibrahim lived in England, where he became particularly fascinated by aircraft, vehicles, motorcycles and heavy-duty industrial equipment. It was also there, President Mahama noted, that Ibrahim crossed paths with a struggling contractor, believed to be Irish, whose business had collapsed.
Seeing potential where others might not, Ibrahim proposed a partnership that would combine their skills and resources. The idea was bold: to acquire a small number of bulldozers and excavators and bring them to Ghana to begin operations. That collaboration eventually gave birth to Engineers and Planners, which would go on to become Ghana’s first wholly indigenous mining company.
The President stressed that the road to success was anything but smooth. At the time, Ghanaian-owned companies were largely excluded from serving as principal contractors in the mining sector, which was dominated by foreign firms, particularly from Australia and Canada. Local companies were typically restricted to minor subcontracting roles.
Despite these constraints, Engineers and Planners managed to secure subcontracting work with African Mining Services (AMS). By consistently delivering projects on time and within budget, the company gradually built a strong reputation for reliability and technical competence.
As confidence in the firm grew, so did the scale and importance of the contracts it received. President Mahama said Ibrahim’s achievements eventually helped challenge long-standing perceptions and opened opportunities for other Ghanaian-owned firms to participate more meaningfully in the mining industry.
He described his brother’s story as a powerful example of perseverance, innovation and national potential, especially in sectors historically controlled by foreign interests.
According to the President, such experiences highlight what can be achieved when local talent is supported and given the space to thrive—an ethos reflected in UMaT’s decision to honour Ibrahim Mahama with an honorary doctorate.
