Africa is home to some of the world’s richest mineral deposits. It holds about 30% of global critical mineral reserves, more than half of the world’s cobalt and 90% of platinum group metals. Despite this abundance, much of the value generated by these resources is captured outside the continent, while African countries continue to import finished products made from minerals extracted from their own soil.
Addressing this challenge was at the heart of the African Minerals Policy Forum “Mining in Motion 2026”, held under the theme “One Continent. One Voice on Minerals: Aligning Africa’s Mineral Future.”
The forum, held under the patronage of His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, brought together African leaders, ministers, investors, mining companies and development partners to explore how the continent’s mineral wealth can drive industrialization, create decent jobs and generate lasting benefits for its people.
Ghana’s Vision for Local Value Addition
Opening the forum, President H.E. John Dramani Mahama outlined Ghana’s ambition to end the export of unprocessed mineral ores by 2030, covering commodities such as bauxite, manganese, iron ore and lithium. The phased transition supported by legal reforms and mineral-specific requirements, signals a shift toward processing more resources domestically and capturing greater value within the country.
While Ghana has historically relied significantly on the export of minerals in their raw or minimally processed form, there is growing recognition of the opportunity to capture more value domestically through processing, manufacturing and stronger local value chainsminerals while importing products made from them, losing opportunities to create jobs, build technical expertise and expand local industries. President Mahama has emphasized this shift calling for mineral extraction to become a stronger foundation for jobs, industrial development and economic transformation.
Institutions such as the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) and the Ghana Integrated Iron & Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) are expected to help connect the country’s bauxite and iron ore resources to domestic refining and manufacturing. Complementing the vision is a proposed US$10 billion investment plan to modernise the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) and strengthen Ghana’s industrial base.
Ghana’s efforts to retain more value from its mineral resources are also evident in the gold sector. Through the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), established in April 2025, the country has strengthened the regulation of small-scale gold exports while expanding domestic refining capacity. The President further announced plans to increase contract mining opportunities for indigenous Ghanaian companies and called on universities and training institutions to equip future engineers, geologists, technicians and managers with the skills needed for a mineral-processing economy
Responsible Mining as a Foundation for Development
While industrialization remains a key objective, participants emphasized that long-term success depends on responsible resource governance, strong institutions and environmental and social safeguards.
The Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Hon. Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, emphasized the need for fair fiscal terms, local value addition, common environmental and social standards, and stronger investment in science, skills and geological data. She called for more effective enforcement of mining laws and closer collaboration among government, traditional authorities, mining companies, and small-scale miners.
At the continental level, the African Union’s African Green Minerals Strategy, adopted in 2025, seeks to position Africa beyond its traditional role as a source of raw materials. Francisca Tatchouop Belobe, AU Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, emphasized the need to build competitive African industries that can transform mineral resources into higher-value products and services.
“Our ambition must be to move from minerals to materials, from materials to markets and to competitive African enterprises,” she said, underscoring the need to build industries that can compete in regional and global markets.
That ambition, however, will be difficult to realise if African countries continue to approach mineral development in isolation.
Regional Cooperation for Mineral Beneficiation
A recurring theme throughout the forum was that no country can achieve mineral-based industrialization alone. Discussions at a ministerial roundtable on beneficiation, co-hosted by UNDP, highlighted the importance of regional cooperation in developing the infrastructure, markets and industrial capacity required to compete globally. Dr. Jide Okeke, Director of UNDP’s Regional Programme for Africa, stressed the importance of effective governance, reliable geological data, strategic investments and stronger regional partnerships to unlock the continent’s mineral potential.
Greater alignment in fiscal policies and local value-addition requirements could also help African countries avoid competing against one another for investment on unfavourable terms. Liberia’s Minister for Mines and Energy, R. Matenokay Tingban, pointed to opportunities for shared railways, ports, power systems and processing facilities among Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. He also called for a fully resourced African Minerals Development Centre to help translate the African Mining Vision into action.
Bridging the Financing Gap
Access to finance emerged as another critical challenge. Stakeholders acknowledged that attracting investment requires more than geological potential. Investors seek predictable policies, reliable infrastructure, bankable projects and mechanisms that reduce risk. Without these enabling conditions, many countries may struggle to secure the capital needed to develop processing facilities, downstream manufacturing industries and other value-addition initiatives.
Delegates called for stronger cooperatives, responsible mining practices and better access to finance to help small-scale miners operate more safely and productively. President Mahama noted that 11 small-scale mining cooperatives had been trained, while GoldBod was financing more environmentally friendly technologies. In addition. Ngone Diop, Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s Subregional Office for West Africa, proposed the establishment of a regional processing hub for artisanal and small-scale mining, aligned with the African Mining Vision and supported by opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area. (AfCFTA).
Ensuring Communities Benefit from Mineral Wealth
The forum also placed strong emphasis on governance, transparency and community inclusion. Participants called for enhanced technical and legal capacity to negotiate mining agreements, greater transparency in contracts and beneficial ownership structures, and stronger enforcement of commitments made by mining companies. Traditional leaders and local governments, they argued, must have a meaningful role in decisions affecting their communities.
For mineral-producing communities, resource sovereignty must translate into tangible benefits, including local employment, business opportunities, fair revenue sharing and protection of vital natural resources such as water. Participants stressed that community well-being should be considered alongside national revenue generation and industrial growth when evaluating the success of mineral development.
A Shared Continental Agenda
By the close of the three-day forum, delegates agreed that Africa possesses the resources needed to power a new generation of industries. However, translating mineral wealth into sustainable development will require coordinated policies, strategic investments, skilled workforces, shared infrastructure and stronger negotiating power.
As noted by Oheneba Nana Kwaku Duah, CEO of the Ashanti Green Initiative, recommendations emerging from the ministerial discussions will be compiled and submitted to President Mahama to help inform Ghana’s upcoming African Union chairmanship agenda.
The success of this vision will ultimately be measured not by commitments made at the forum, but by concrete outcomes: more minerals processed within Africa, stronger regional industries, jobs for African citizens, and mining communities that receive a fair share of the benefits generated from the resources beneath their feet.
For Africa, the challenge and opportunity are clear: to build the industries, partnerships and institutions that transform mineral wealth into long-term, inclusive and sustainable development.
Source: www.undp.org
