Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has been re-elected as Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), reaffirming his leadership of the continental forum.
Alake was first unanimously elected as the pioneer Chairman of AMSG in 2024 during the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) and secured a second term at the group’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on the sidelines of the same conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The AMSG is a ministerial platform for African ministers responsible for minerals and mining, aimed at promoting coordinated action to maximise value addition and beneficiation from the continent’s vast mineral resources.
A statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by Alake’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, said the re-election forms part of efforts to strengthen AMSG’s institutional framework. The AGM approved the creation of new leadership positions including Vice Chairman, Deputy Secretary-General, and Financial Secretary distributed across Africa’s sub-regions to ensure inclusivity and regional balance.
Under the new structure, Alake continues as Chairman, representing West Africa. The Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hon. Louis Watum Kabamba, was elected Vice Chairman for Central Africa. Other zoned appointments include Uganda as Secretary-General (East Africa), Mauritania as Deputy Secretary-General (North Africa), and South Africa as Financial Secretary.
The AGM ratified a two-year tenure for the executive committee and stipulated that zoned positions would automatically pass to successors when a serving minister is replaced.
In his acceptance speech, Alake thanked colleagues for their renewed confidence and called for enhanced collaboration among African nations to unlock the continent’s economic potential through solid minerals development. He urged member states to agree on minimum financial contributions and refine the group’s budgeting framework to boost operational efficiency and accountability.
“Once member states contribute, accountability will naturally follow. This will enhance transparency and strengthen AMSG’s credibility before the global community,” he said.
The AGM also approved quarterly ministerial meetings and the establishment of standing committees on Legal, Institutional Affairs and Human Resources; Sustainability and Responsible Mining; Finance, Budget and Resource Mobilisation; among others. Plans were also discussed for hosting a global minerals conference in Africa, similar to FMF.
Speaking earlier at a Leadership Roundtable themed “Africa: Unlocking Infrastructure Funding for Copper-Belt Production,” Alake emphasised that mineral production alone cannot deliver lasting economic transformation. He cited the Lobito Corridor as an example of how integrated infrastructure, coordinated policies, and deliberate value-addition strategies can unlock regional growth.
He highlighted other corridors with transformative potential, including the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor linking Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire; the Walvis Bay Corridor serving Southern Africa; and the Dar es Salaam and Central Corridors for East and Central Africa.
“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,” Alake said. He stressed the importance of bankable offtake agreements, harmonised cross-border regulations, and alignment of rail, port, power, and industrial planning to attract private capital and sustain commercial viability.
Alake concluded that AMSG’s broader vision is to ensure Africa’s mineral infrastructure is strategically designed, responsibly financed, and efficiently managed, promoting transparency, long-term stability, and shared economic prosperity.
