Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG)
Background
Africa possesses significant reserves of the minerals that are essential for batteries, solar panels and other green tech that underpin the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. The security of critical minerals supply chains is strategic for many countries due to the expected growth in demand driven by the uptake of clean energy technologies around the world.
Africa’s vast unexplored and largely untapped mineral wealth makes the continent more critical in the race to secure the supplies needed to achieve decarbonisation and to meet the ever increasing global demand for critical minerals. There is therefore an urgent need to foster collaboration among African countries on critical minerals so that Africa can play a key role in the critical minerals agenda and in shaping the global energy transition.
In the past Africa has not turned its vast natural resources to greatly benefit its countries and people because these have mostly been exported as raw materials thereby missing out on job creation for our young people, industrialization and economic development. Africa’s mining industry also remains largely structured around a “pit-to-port” model that channels mineral ores elsewhere for processing.
Africa therefore needs a dedicated platform to coordinate, advance and protect Africa’s strategic interests especially the local beneficiation (value addition) of critical minerals to boost African economies.
It is in this regard, that on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of the third Future Minerals Forum on 9th January 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, African Ministers of Minerals and Mining met and established the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG).
Purpose
The primary purpose of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) is to facilitate international cooperation in the minerals and mining sector among member African nations.
Goal
The goal of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group is to promote exploration, extraction, production, local beneficiation (value addition) and commercialization to ensure a sustainable, transparent and secure supply of critical minerals, while protecting our environment and improving the quality of life of our population, to spur the socio-economic transformation and prosperity of Africa, and support the energy transition.
Objectives
1. Collaboration: Foster collaboration among member nations to collectively address the challenges and opportunities associated with critical minerals, including but not limited to sourcing, production, local beneficiation (value addition), supply chain security, technology innovation and common legal framework.
2. Resource Sharing: Facilitate the sharing of knowledge, data, technology, innovations and best practices related to the exploration and sustainable development of critical minerals resources.
3. Investment Opportunities: Identify and pursue joint investment opportunities in critical minerals geological studies, mapping, exploration, extraction, local beneficiation (value addition) and utilization, with a focus on mutually beneficial economic development.
4. Technological Advancement: Promote research and development initiatives and technology transfer aimed at enhancing the technological capabilities and environmental sustainability of critical minerals mining and beneficiation.
5. Capacity Building: Facilitate and support building capacity through setting up sub-regional centres of excellence to enable expansion of technology transfer, maximize the sharing of best practices, joint policy development and initiatives, and be a driver of economic development.
6. Strategic Partnerships: Foster the socio-economic development of Africa through the close collaboration and coordination with strategic partners like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to explore investment opportunities to contribute to the future economic development in the mining sector.
Membership
The Membership of Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) is made up of Member Nations and Observers.
Member Nations: Member Nation Status in AMSG is open to any sovereign African nation that shares the objectives and principles outlined in the Charter and expresses a commitment to actively contribute to the AMSG goals and activities. The 16 AMSG founding Member Nations include Nigeria, Malawi, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Botswana, Burundi, South Sudan, Zambia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Chad, Somalia, Zimbabwe and Liberia.
Observer Status: Observers will include Intergovernmental Organizations, International Organizations, Industry stakeholders and other stakeholders like Saudi Arabia. Observers may be invited to participate in AMSG meetings and activities without voting rights. The process of granting observer status shall be agreed by member nations.
Governance and Decision-making
1. Leadership: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall be led by a rotating chair, elected by member nations on an annual basis.
2. Decision-Making: Decisions within Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall be made by consensus among member nations. In the absence of consensus, decisions may be reached by a two-thirds majority vote.
3. Steering Committee: The AMSG shall be led by a Steering Committee composed of Ministers, Cabinet Secretaries or any other Government Representative (at a Ministerial Level) responsible for minerals and mining from member nations.
4. Technical Committee: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall have a Technical Committee to provide guidance and technical support to the Ministerial Steering Committee. The number and terms of reference for the Technical Committee shall be developed and ratified by the Steering Committee.
5. Secretariat: The AMSG shall have a Secretariat responsible for the day-to-day operations, implementation of the Steering Committee decisions, managing the collaboration and communication with key stakeholders and facilitating partnerships and investments between member nations and the strategic partners. The Secretariat shall be led by a Secretary General.
6. Advisory Committee: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall have an Advisory Committee composed of Africa regional and sub-regional Bodies and eminent African persons to harness their structures, programmes and wisdom in support of the cause and goals of Africa Minerals Strategy Group.
Meetings and Activities
1. Meetings: Africa Minerals Strategy Group shall convene regular meetings, either in person or virtually, to discuss progress, exchange information, and plan collaborative initiatives.
2. Activities: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group may establish working groups, task forces, committees or subcommittees to address specific areas of focus, such as research and development, local beneficiation (value addition), technological development, investment strategies, sustainability measures or any other activities that may be determined by the Steering Committee.
Funding and Resources
1. Funding: Member Nations shall contribute to the funding of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group’s activities in accordance with a budget and allocation mechanism to be agreed upon by member nations.
2. Resources: The Africa Minerals Strategy Group may seek external funding, grants, or partnerships to support its initiatives and projects. However, any external funding, grants or partnerships sought that in any way undermine the independence and objectives of AMSG shall be rejected.