Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
African Ministers responsible for solid minerals and mining have re-elected Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, as Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, AMSG.
Dr. Alake was re-elected at the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the continental body held on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Africa Minerals Strategy Group is a forum of African mining ministers working to promote coordinated policies, value addition, and beneficiation of the continent’s vast mineral resources.
At the meeting, member states approved a new leadership structure to strengthen the group’s institutional framework and promote regional balance.
The Democratic Republic of Congo was elected Vice-Chair, while Uganda, Mauritania, and South Africa were appointed to key executive positions.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Alake called on African countries to deepen collaboration to unlock economic growth through solid minerals development, stressing the need for investment in infrastructure, processing, and value addition.
He said Africa must move beyond exporting raw minerals and focus on building industrial capacity that will create jobs, boost revenue, and strengthen regional integration.
The forum also resolved to hold quarterly ministerial meetings and establish standing committees on sustainability, finance, and resource mobilisation.
Dr. Alake further emphasised that Africa’s mineral wealth can only translate into real development with reliable infrastructure, coordinated policies, and private sector investment.
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