Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) during the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This development is part of the group’s efforts to strengthen its institutional framework and promote coordinated action among African countries to maximize value addition and beneficiation from the continent’s vast mineral resources.
The AMSG, a continental ministerial forum of African ministers responsible for minerals and mining, aims to unlock Africa’s economic potential through solid minerals development. The group has approved the creation of additional leadership positions, including Vice Chairman, Deputy Secretary-General, and Financial Secretary, to be distributed equitably across Africa’s sub-regions.
Under the new leadership structure, Dr. Alake will continue as Chairman, representing West Africa, while the Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hon. Louis Watum Kabamba, was elected Vice Chairman, representing Central Africa. Other positions include the Secretary-General from Uganda (East Africa), Deputy Secretary-General from Mauritania (North Africa), and Financial Secretary from South Africa.
The AGM also ratified a two-year tenure for the newly elected executive committee and agreed that zoned positions belong to member countries. In his acceptance speech, Dr. Alake emphasized the need for African nations to work collaboratively to unlock the continent’s economic potential and called on member states to agree on minimum financial contributions to strengthen the group’s operational effectiveness.
The meeting further resolved to hold quarterly ministerial meetings and established standing committees, including those for legal, institutional affairs, and human resources, as well as sustainability and responsible mining. Plans are also underway to host a global minerals conference in Africa, similar to the Future Minerals Forum.
Dr. Alake stressed that mineral production alone cannot deliver lasting economic transformation without reliable infrastructure, coordinated policies, and deliberate value-addition strategies. He cited the Lobito Corridor as a model of what can be achieved when rail, ports, energy systems, and policy alignment work in synergy, and emphasized the need to address issues such as bankable and enforceable offtake arrangements, predictable and harmonized cross-border regulatory frameworks, and clear pathways for processing, smelting, logistics services, and industrial clusters along the corridors.
The re-election of Dr. Alake and the new leadership structure are expected to strengthen the AMSG’s efforts to promote African mineral development and unlock the continent’s economic potential. With the group’s focus on coordinated action, value addition, and beneficiation, Africa’s mineral resources are poised to play a significant role in the continent’s economic growth and development.
