Alake calls for African unity to unlock greater value from mineral wealth

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Oladele Alake, has called for stronger regional cooperation among African countries to enhance the continent’s position in global mineral supply chains.

Alake, who also chairs the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, made the call at the Kenya Mining Investment Conference and Exhibition 2026, noting that Africa is central to a new industrial era driven by critical minerals, clean energy technologies, digital transformation and advanced manufacturing.

He observed that despite vast deposits of key minerals, Africa continues to capture only a small share of the economic value derived from its resources.

“For decades, Africa has remained largely an exporter of raw materials and an importer of finished products. This model has constrained industrial growth, weakened economic resilience and limited job creation across our nations,” Alake said.

The minister stressed that no African country can fully maximise opportunities in the evolving global minerals market alone, urging nations to collaborate to redefine Africa’s role in the sector.

He called for harmonised mining policies, cross-border infrastructure development, increased intra-African trade and stronger regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Alake also highlighted the expansion of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group from 16 founding members to 31 countries, describing it as a platform for building a unified African voice on mineral governance and value retention.

He added that the ongoing restructuring of global supply chains offers Africa a major opportunity, but stressed that success would depend on improved governance, policy consistency, transparency and investment-friendly environments.