Stiffer measures to reduce raw mineral exports and enhance value addition dominated discussions among African mining ministers at the Ministerial Roundtable, which kick-started the annual Africa Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) in Abuja.
These measures include increasing licence fees, royalties and charges, supporting indigenous miners, and making value addition a prerequisite for obtaining mining licenses.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development and chair of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dr. Dele Alake urged member countries to take control of their mineral resources. He emphasised leveraging the global shift to green energy to maximise the benefits of Africa’s rich mineral resources. Alake stressed the summit’s importance in fostering dialogue, sharing knowledge and strengthening the AMSG’s focus on value addition to drive rapid economic development.
As chairperson of the AMSG, Alake highlighted the necessity of judiciously exploiting Africa’s natural resources and effectively utilising the generated revenue for the benefit of its citizens. “The Africa Natural Resources & Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) is another opportunity to further consolidate our ideas and put them in motion towards attaining our stated objectives. I hope that at the end of our deliberations, Africa will know and recognise our seriousness. We are confident that through the support of ministers here present, we can get the endorsement of our heads of state for necessary policy actions,” Alake said.
AMSG secretary-general Moses Engadu from Uganda underscored that the roundtable, themed “Sustainable Development for Africa’s Natural Resources,” provides a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing experiences and offering policy guidance for transformative actions towards sustainable development.
Malawian Minister of Mining Monica Chang’anamuno, called for concrete plans for infrastructure development, which is critical for mineral resource development. She advocated for collaboration based on comparative advantages among African countries. Chadian Deputy Minister of Petroleum, Mines & Geology Oumar Moussa proposed the creation of an African fund for exploration, the development of continental expertise in the mining value chain, and centers of excellence for innovation and clean technologies.
Other speakers emphasised the need for commitment to agreements and enhanced collaboration to harness the continent’s natural resources for shared prosperity. Urging his colleagues to take a cue from Nigeria, Alake advocated for local content policies, mandating substantial indigenous representation in mining operations. “In Nigeria, we have a policy that we refrain from granting licenses to foreigners wholly; there must be a Nigerian partner. This is a policy other African countries should adopt. Since the inception of AMSG, we’ve introduced initiatives like intra-Africa trade and I believe that we cannot do this effectively without the active collaboration of our private sector, across board,” the minister asserted.
Providing insights into the action plan of the AMSG, Engadu announced the upcoming launch of the “Africa for Africans” initiative. This initiative aims at innovative programmes for mineral resource development and the establishment of the Africa Minerals Development Fund (AMDF). Engadu noted, “This fund, inspired by Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), will be championed by Nigeria and structured to assist local miners across the continent access required funding.”
A statement by the special assistant on media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development Segun Tomori noted that countries represented at the ministerial round-table included Nigeria, Uganda, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Liberia and Chad. Nigeria’s Minister of Steel Development Shuaib Abubakar Audu; Minister of State Uba Maigari, Minister of State for Environment Iziaq Salako, along with other continental private sector players, were also in attendance.
