More than 30 African countries are set to advance plans for mineral value addition, investment and stronger continental cooperation as global demand for strategic resources intensifies.
Africa is stepping up efforts to gain greater control over its critical-minerals wealth as the continent prepares for a high-level meeting in New York focused on mineral value addition, investment and continental cooperation.
The Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) will convene its Third High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development in Africa on September 21, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The meeting will be chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who serves as Chairperson of the AMSG General Assembly.
According to the AMSG, the gathering reflects Africa’s growing determination to place critical minerals at the centre of its industrial, economic and geopolitical strategy.
More than 30 African countries involved
The AMSG brings together more than 30 African countries, represented by ministers responsible for minerals and mining.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, chairs the ministerial body, which is working to promote common policies, responsible mineral development and greater local value addition across the continent.
The New York roundtable will be held under the theme:
“From Resources to Wealth: Continental Cooperation for Mineral Value Addition.”
The theme reflects a growing concern among African policymakers that the continent has for decades exported valuable minerals while much of the processing, manufacturing and higher-value economic activity takes place elsewhere.
Africa wants to move beyond exporting raw minerals
Critical minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt, graphite, manganese and rare earth elements have become increasingly important to the global economy.
They are essential to the production of electric vehicles, batteries, renewable-energy technologies, advanced manufacturing equipment, digital infrastructure and defence systems.
Africa has significant reserves of several of these strategic resources.
However, the continent has historically captured only a limited share of the value created from its mineral wealth because much of the production leaves Africa in raw or minimally processed form.
The AMSG wants to change that model.
The organisation says the New York meeting will focus on moving African economies “beyond the traditional extract-and-export model” by developing integrated mineral value chains within the continent.
That includes attracting transformative capital, strengthening cooperation between African countries and increasing the share of economic value retained from Africa’s natural resources.
The meeting will also build on the Mutual Assured Development (MADE) Framework, unveiled during the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) 2026 in Abuja.
According to the AMSG, the New York gathering is intended to move the conversation from strategic discussions towards practical implementation.
A major part of that process will be the unveiling of the proposed Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration (CIEAD).
The declaration is expected to establish a framework for greater African cooperation around critical minerals.
It will cover areas including policy coordination, investment mobilisation, mineral processing and value addition, supply-chain security and stronger African negotiating power in the global minerals market.
The push comes as major economies compete to secure reliable supplies of critical minerals.
The global transition towards electric mobility and renewable energy, alongside the expansion of artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and modern defence systems, is increasing demand for the minerals needed to power these technologies.
For Africa, the growing competition presents both an opportunity and a challenge.
The continent can attract more investment into mining, but African governments increasingly want those investments to generate broader economic benefits through local processing, manufacturing, infrastructure development, technology transfer and job creation.
Rather than simply supplying raw materials to industries abroad, African countries want to participate in more stages of the global value chain.
Developing competitive mineral value chains will require substantial investment.
African countries need processing and refining facilities, reliable electricity, roads, railways, ports and other infrastructure to transform mineral resources into higher-value products.
The AMSG says the New York roundtable will therefore focus on bankable projects, policy alignment and investment structures capable of attracting long-term capital.
The objective is to connect Africa’s mineral resources with the infrastructure and industrial capacity required to turn them into measurable economic value.
The initiative also has a wider geopolitical dimension.
As countries around the world compete for access to critical minerals, Africa’s large resource base gives it an opportunity to negotiate from a stronger position.
But individual countries negotiating separately may have less leverage than a coordinated continental approach.
The AMSG is therefore seeking greater cooperation among African mineral-producing countries so that the continent can develop common approaches to investment, processing, supply chains and resource governance.
If successful, the approach could strengthen Africa’s position in negotiations with international mining companies, governments and investors.
TNAM
By Egwu Patience Nnennaya
