In a defining moment for Africa’s economic future, the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) convened its Second High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development on 22 September 2025, held on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York. The gathering brought together heads of state, ministers, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and multinational leaders in the mining, energy, and technology sectors to articulate a shared continental vision for repositioning Africa at the heart of the global minerals economy.
Co-convened by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria and President William Samoei Ruto of Kenya, alongside the AMSG leadership, the roundtable was a deliberate assertion of Africa’s intention not merely to participate in, but to strategically shape the critical minerals narrative that is now pivotal to the world’s energy transition, digital transformation, and defence innovation.
Africa is home to vast deposits of strategic minerals—including lithium, cobalt, copper, graphite, manganese, niobium, and rare earth elements—that form the backbone of electric vehicles, battery storage, renewable energy systems, and digital infrastructure. Yet, historically, the continent has remained on the periphery of global value chains, exporting raw materials while importing finished products. The 2025 roundtable was a direct response to this long-standing imbalance and a coordinated attempt to re-centre African agency in the global minerals discourse.
At the heart of the communiqué released after the roundtable was a continental consensus: Africa must evolve from being a supplier of unprocessed minerals to a global hub for value-added green manufacturing, beneficiation, and clean-tech innovation. This transformation is anchored in the African Mining Vision (AMV) and Agenda 2063, frameworks that collectively envision a prosperous, inclusive, and self-reliant Africa.
The communiqué made a series of concrete and forward-looking commitments:
1. Advancing Local Value Addition and Industrialisation
Member States reaffirmed their resolve to deepen mineral processing within African borders, promote intra-African trade, and invest in downstream industries such as battery manufacturing, refining, and metallurgy. This industrial shift will not only increase Africa’s share of global mineral profits but also stimulate local job creation, facilitate technology transfer, and build regional value chains that can withstand external shocks.
2. Sovereignty Through Data and Exploration
The meeting endorsed the rollout of the African Minerals and Energy Resources Classification and Management System (AMREC) and the Pan-African Resource Reporting Code (PARC). These initiatives are aimed at harmonising data governance across the continent, empowering countries to take control of their geological data, and strengthening investor confidence through transparency. The AMSG Mineral Exploration Initiative was also launched, with the objective of boosting exploration investments using modern techniques and African-led standards.
3. Africa-Led Financing Mechanisms
A key outcome of the roundtable was the collective call for innovation-driven, Africa-owned financing models. Recognising the limitations of external finance tied to conditionalities, AMSG proposed the creation of sovereign and blended finance instruments to fund exploration, infrastructure, and green industrialisation. Among these, the pilot of the Africa Mineral Token (AMT)—a blockchain-based digital asset—was introduced as a mechanism to democratise access to mineral wealth and improve financial traceability in the sector.
4. Strategic Autonomy in Global Minerals Security
The participants endorsed the development of an African Strategy on Critical Minerals Security, aimed at building resilient supply chains, responsible sourcing frameworks, and regional stockpiles. The goal is not isolation but strategic integration—anchoring Africa’s role in global value chains while retaining greater autonomy over pricing, processing, and geopolitical risk management.
5. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Commitment
The roundtable reinforced commitments to climate-smart mining, gender equality, and the integration of artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) into formal value chains. This inclusion ensures that Africa’s transition into a critical minerals powerhouse remains grounded in social justice and sustainability. Countries pledged to train and finance ASM actors while enhancing traceability and environmental protection.
6. Pan-African Peace and Development Diplomacy
Acknowledging the inextricable link between peace and resource governance, the communiqué praised the peace accord between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, facilitated by international diplomacy. The DRC was reaffirmed as a central actor in Africa’s mineral future. While appreciative of global support, the communiqué underscored Africa’s sovereign right to determine its developmental path without external imposition.
7. Institutional Maturity and Strategic Partnerships
The roundtable also called for the institutionalisation of the AMSG and welcomed progress made in establishing the AMSG Secretariat in Uganda. International partners, including the European Union, United Nations, and United States, were acknowledged for their support. However, AMSG leaders were unequivocal in their insistence that all partnerships must be transparent, equitable, and locally beneficial, particularly in areas of technology access, environmental stewardship, and value retention.
What set this roundtable apart was not just its scope but its tone—a confident, coordinated, and non-linear African narrative that avoids the tropes of dependency or benevolent partnership. Rather, it conveyed an unwavering message: Africa is no longer waiting to be invited to global value chains. It is building them from within.
To that end, the AMSG Secretariat was mandated to:
- Develop a Critical Minerals Investment Framework to guide project pipelines and funding strategies;
- Establish a Continental Mineral Data Repository, accessible to member states and investors;
- Pilot the Africa Mineral Token (AMT) with participating countries and blockchain innovators;
- Prepare for the Third AMSG High-Level Roundtable in 2026, under the theme “From Resources to Wealth.”
The growing convergence of African governments on issues of mineral governance is notable. It signals a rising commitment to transform natural resources into long-term engines of wealth creation, anchored in African priorities rather than externally dictated blueprints. This is not merely a regional recalibration—it is a continental inflection point.
As the world accelerates its transition to renewable energy and digital infrastructure, demand for Africa’s critical minerals will only intensify. But access must no longer come at the cost of African sovereignty, nor be structured around extractive paradigms that hollow out local economies. This roundtable demonstrated that Africa is ready—with the frameworks, institutions, leadership, and ambition—to write its own rules.
For industry leaders, institutional investors, and policymakers, the message is clear: the future of critical minerals is being written in Africa, and to engage meaningfully, one must do so with respect for African agency, partnership equity, and long-term strategic alignment.
For a full copy of the official communiqué and participating member states, visit the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) website.
