The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), Justina Nelson, has highlighted the importance of investment, data sharing and regional cooperation in helping African countries derive greater value from their mineral resources.
Speaking in Accra last Wednesday during a ministerial roundtable on mineral value addition and beneficiation at the African Minerals Policy Forum (Mining in Motion Conference, she highlighted the opportunities presented by government policies aimed at attracting investment and promoting value addition across the mining value chain.
Mrs Nelson stated that those efforts could support job creation, strengthen local industries and increase the economic benefits African countries derive from their mineral resources.
Geological data
The African Minerals Policy Forum, held at the Destiny Arena in Haatso, brought together representatives of African governments, continental institutions and international development organisations to explore strategies for moving beyond the export of raw minerals towards local processing and manufacturing.
Mrs Nelson also emphasised the importance of sharing geological and other relevant data to improve understanding of Africa’s critical mineral resources and identify opportunities for their effective utilisation.
Regional integration and cooperation, she stated were important to strengthening mineral value chains and enabling African countries to benefit more from their collective resource wealth.
Key issues
Participants at the roundtable identified reliable and affordable energy, access to finance, transport infrastructure, geological data and technical skills as key requirements for developing viable mineral processing industries.
They also highlighted the importance of effective regulatory frameworks and stronger coordination among governments, investors and development institutions.
The participants also considered the potential to process minerals used in clean energy technologies, including lithium, into higher-value products.
Mrs Nelson emphasised the need to translate existing policies and legislations into practical outcomes, stating that commitments to beneficiation must be matched by effective implementation and tangible investment.
The CEO of MIIF also underscored the importance of managing Africa’s mineral resources in ways that delivered lasting benefits for present and future generations.
Background
The African Minerals Policy Forum is a platform focused on advancing the African Mining Vision.
Adopted by African Heads of State, the vision seeks to harness Africa’s mineral resources to promote inclusive economic growth, industrialisation and sustainable development.
The discussions highlighted the importance of investment, effective policies and regional collaboration in strengthening Africa’s capacity to process its mineral resources locally and retain a greater share of the economic value generated by the mining sector.
