By Obiabin Onukwugha
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has been re-elected Chairman of Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), a forum of ministers in charge of mining and solid minerals on the continent.
Alake was re-elected at the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the group, which held on the sidelines of the same conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, on his re-election as Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategic Group (AMSG),
AMSG aims to maximise the benefits for Africans from Africa’s vast mineral resources.
Mr Alake was first elected in 2024 on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) and later re-elected at the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the group, which was held on the sidelines of the same conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
President Tinubu described Alake’s re-election as a clear vote of confidence in his visionary leadership, steadfast commitment, and strategic advocacy for Africa’s minerals sector.
A statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), to President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, congratulated the Minister, noting that under Alake’s chairmanship, the AMSG has continued to provide a strong, united voice for African countries in advancing collaboration, safeguarding mineral resources, and positioning Africa as a key player in the global energy transition and the critical minerals value chain.
President Tinubu also commended the Minister for aligning the objectives of the AMSG with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda, “particularly the drive to unlock the nation’s vast solid minerals potential, attract sustainable investment, create jobs, and ensure that mineral wealth translates into tangible socio-economic benefits for Africans.”
The Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Hon. Louis Watum Kabamba, was elected Vice Chairman, representing Central Africa, while the position of Secretary-General remained with Uganda (East Africa), Mauritania was also appointed Deputy Secretary-General (North Africa), while South Africa was assigned the position of Financial Secretary.
The AGM also ratified a two-year tenure for the newly elected executive committee and agreed that zoned positions belong to member countries, such that where a serving minister is replaced, the successor automatically assumes the role.
In his acceptance speech, Alake expressed gratitude to his colleagues for the renewed confidence reposed in him, stressing the urgent need for African nations to work collaboratively to unlock the continent’s economic potential through solid minerals development.
He called on member states to agree on minimum financial contributions and to refine the group’s budgeting framework to strengthen its operational effectiveness.
“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.
Speaking earlier at a Leadership Roundtable under the heme, “Africa: Unlocking Infrastructure Funding for Copper-Belt Production,” Alake emphasised that mineral production alone could not deliver lasting economic transformation without reliable infrastructure, coordinated policies, and deliberate value-addition strategies.
Alake cited the Lobito Corridor “as a model of what was achievable when rail, ports, energy systems, and policy alignment worked in synergy. He stated that similar opportunities existed across the continent, including the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor linking Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire; Walvis Bay Corridor connecting Southern Africa’s mining regions to global markets; Dar es Salaam and Central Corridors serving East and Central Africa, among others.”
According to the minister, 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,” Alake emphasised.
He added that the broader vision of AMSG was to ensure that Africa’s mineral infrastructure was strategically designed, responsibly financed, and efficiently managed in a rapidly evolving global environment, not to discourage investment, but to ensure it aligned with long-term stability, transparency, and shared economic prosperity.
