The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has been re-elected Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, a continental forum of African ministers responsible for minerals and mining, committed to coordinated action to maximise value addition and beneficiation from Africa’s mineral resources.
The re-election was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori.
“The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has been re-elected Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, a continental ministerial forum of African ministers responsible for minerals and mining, committed to coordinated action aimed at maximising value addition and beneficiation from Africa’s vast mineral resources,” the statement partly read.
PUNCH Online reports that Alake was first elected as the pioneer chairman of the AMSG in 2024 on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum and retained the position at the group’s 2026 Annual General Meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
As part of institutional reforms, the AGM approved the creation of additional leadership positions, including Vice-Chairman, Deputy Secretary-General and Financial Secretary, with the roles distributed across Africa’s sub-regions to promote inclusion and regional balance.
While the positions of Chairman and Vice-Chairman are elective and reserved for serving ministers, other positions are appointed by member states to which they are zoned.
Under the new structure, Alake continues as Chairman, representing West Africa. The Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Louis Watum Kabamba, was elected Vice-Chairman for Central Africa. Uganda retains the position of Secretary-General for East Africa, Mauritania was appointed Deputy Secretary-General for North Africa, while South Africa holds the position of Financial Secretary.
The AGM also ratified a two-year tenure for the executive committee and agreed that zoned positions belong to member countries, such that successors automatically assume the roles when ministers are replaced.
In his acceptance speech, Alake thanked his colleagues for the renewed confidence and called on African nations to deepen collaboration to unlock the continent’s economic potential through solid minerals development.
He urged member states to agree on minimum financial contributions and strengthen the group’s budgeting framework to improve operational efficiency.
“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 AGM also resolved to hold quarterly ministerial meetings and established standing committees, including Legal, Institutional Affairs and Human Resources; Sustainability and Responsible Mining; and Finance, Budget and Resource Mobilisation. Members also agreed on steps towards hosting a global minerals conference in Africa, similar to the Future Minerals Forum.
Speaking earlier at a leadership roundtable themed ‘Africa: Unlocking Infrastructure Funding for Copper-Belt Production’, Alake stressed that mineral production alone cannot deliver lasting economic transformation without reliable infrastructure, coordinated policies and deliberate value-addition strategies.
“The real question is not whether Africa has corridors, but whether these corridors are being financed, governed and structured to support industrial growth, regional integration and long-term stability. What matters is how financing is designed to reduce risk, attract private capital and sustain commercial viability while advancing national and regional development objectives,” he said.
Alake cited successful models such as the Lobito Corridor in Angola and highlighted other opportunities, including the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor, the Walvis Bay Corridor, and the Dar es Salaam and Central Corridors. He emphasised the need for aligned rail, port, power and industrial planning to unlock capital at scale.
He also noted that offtake arrangements, harmonised regulatory frameworks and clearly defined industrial clusters are critical to attracting investment along Africa’s mineral corridors.
“The broader vision of the AMSG is to ensure that Africa’s mineral infrastructure is strategically designed, responsibly financed and efficiently managed in a rapidly evolving global environment, not to discourage investment, but to ensure it aligns with long-term stability, transparency and shared economic prosperity,” Alake added.
Formed in 2024, the Africa Minerals Strategy Group serves as a platform for policy coordination, knowledge sharing and joint action among African states to strengthen the mining sector.
It brings together ministers from across the continent to harmonise strategies for industrial development, regional integration and infrastructure investment, as Africa seeks to move beyond raw mineral exports to higher-value processed products
