Follow Us on Google
From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
African Ministers of Minerals have re-elected Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, as Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), calling on African nations to unite and drive economic growth through solid minerals development.
Alake was returned unopposed at the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the AMSG, held on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was first elected as the pioneer chairman of the continental body in 2024.
The AMSG is a forum of African Ministers responsible for minerals and mining, established to promote coordinated action, value addition and beneficiation of Africa’s vast mineral resources.
As part of efforts to strengthen its institutional framework, the forum approved the creation of new leadership positions, including Vice-Chairman, Deputy Secretary-General and Financial Secretary, with an agreement that the roles be equitably distributed across Africa’s sub-regions.
Under the new structure, Dr. Alake continues as Chairman, representing West Africa, while the DRC Minister of Mines, Hon. Louis Watum Kabamba, was elected Vice-Chairman for Central Africa. Uganda retains the position of Secretary-General (East Africa), Mauritania was appointed Deputy Secretary-General (North Africa), while South Africa will serve as Financial Secretary.
The AGM also ratified a two-year tenure for the executive committee and agreed that zoned positions belong to member countries, meaning that any new minister automatically assumes the role if a predecessor leaves office.
In his acceptance speech, Alake thanked his colleagues for the renewed confidence, stressing the urgent need for African countries to work together to unlock the continent’s economic potential through solid minerals.
He called on member states to agree on minimum financial contributions to strengthen the group’s operations, noting that accountability and transparency would naturally follow.
“Once member states contribute, accountability will naturally follow. This will enhance transparency and strengthen the credibility of the AMSG before the global community,” he said.
The ministers also agreed to hold quarterly meetings, establish standing committees on areas such as legal affairs, sustainability, responsible mining and finance, and begin steps towards hosting a global minerals conference in Africa, similar to the FMF.
Speaking earlier at a leadership roundtable themed “Africa: Unlocking Infrastructure Funding for Copper-Belt Production”, Alake warned that mineral production alone cannot transform African economies without reliable infrastructure, coordinated policies and deliberate value-addition strategies.
He cited the Lobito Corridor as a successful model and pointed to other viable corridors such as the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor, Walvis Bay Corridor, and Dar es Salaam and Central Corridors as opportunities for regional integration and industrial growth.
“The real issue is not whether Africa has corridors, but whether they are properly financed, governed and structured to support long-term development,” Alake said.
He added that Africa must design mineral infrastructure that attracts investment while promoting transparency, stability and shared prosperity across the continent.
