In the autumn of 2026, in Accra, officials and institutions gathered to confront an old and stubborn pattern: Africa digs its minerals from the earth and ships them away raw, while the richer work of refining and making things stays elsewhere. Justina Nelson, who leads Ghana's Minerals Income Investment Fund, argued that the continent can only keep more of what its soil yields if it works across borders, pooling investment, geological knowledge and processing ambition. Her deeper point was that promises of value addition are easy to speak and hard to build, and that the real measure will be wh
MIIF CEO Calls for Regional Cooperation to Lift Africa's Mineral Value Addition
Commitments to beneficiation must become tangible investment and practical outcomes.
Mark
Why does a roundtable like this matter? Countries have talked about beneficiation for years.
Mimi
Because the ask is specific. Nelson wanted cooperation on investment, geological data and processing, and she tied it to keeping more value inside Africa.
Luke
Worth noting that the release reports calls and discussion. I don't see a funding figure, a signed deal or a deadline.
Mark
So what did she say was missing?
Mimi
Implementation. She said commitments to beneficiation must become real investment and practical outcomes, and that existing policies and laws need to be applied effectively.
Mark
And what would processing industries need?
Mimi
Participants listed affordable, reliable energy, finance, transport infrastructure, geological data and technical skills. Lithium was the example given of a mineral that could be turned into higher-value products.
Luke
Lithium was cited as an opportunity, not as a project. The source doesn't say which country would process it, or when.
Mark
Why share geological data across borders?
Mimi
Nelson said it improves understanding of Africa's critical minerals and helps identify how to use them well.
Luke
How that sharing would work, and who would hold the data, isn't addressed in this account.
Il Polso
- A ministerial roundtable in Accra exposed the frustration of raw mineral exports leaving African nations with little of the wealth they generate.
- Nelson pressed for regional cooperation on investment, shared geological data and mineral processing, urging a shift from talk to action.
- Participants named the hard requirements for processing industries: reliable energy, finance, transport, geological data and technical skills.
- Lithium emerged as a concrete opportunity, but the room acknowledged that declared commitments have not yet become built capacity.
- The outcome is still forming: success depends on enforcing existing policies and aligning governments, regulators, investors and development institutions.
In the autumn of 2026, in Accra, officials and institutions gathered to confront an old and stubborn pattern: Africa digs its minerals from the earth and ships them away raw, while the richer work of refining and making things stays elsewhere. Justina Nelson, who leads Ghana's Minerals Income Investment Fund, argued that the continent can only keep more of what its soil yields if it works across borders, pooling investment, geological knowledge and processing ambition. Her deeper point was that promises of value addition are easy to speak and hard to build, and that the real measure will be whether existing policies are carried into factories, power supply and trained hands.
On October 19, at the Destiny Arena in Haatso, a ministerial roundtable on mineral value addition gathered government representatives, continental institutions and international development partners. It was part of the African Minerals Policy Forum, known as the Mining in Motion Conference, and it asked a question that has shadowed African resource politics for decades: how can countries stop shipping out raw minerals and begin processing them at home?
Justina Nelson, Chief Executive of Ghana's Minerals Income Investment Fund, argued that the answer lies in regional cooperation. Joint work on investment, shared geological data and processing could build regional value chains that keep more of the wealth beneath African soil within African economies. Efficient management of resources, she said, is what secures benefits for both today's and tomorrow's generations, and policies that encourage processing along the whole mining chain could create jobs, strengthen local industries and raise returns.
She was also direct about the gap between words and reality. Existing policies and legislation must be enforced, she said, because beneficiation pledges only matter when they become tangible investment and working outcomes.
Participants added a practical list of what viable processing requires: affordable, dependable energy, access to finance, transport links, good geological data and skilled people. They called for clearer regulation and better coordination among governments, investors and development institutions, and they saw real promise in processing lithium into higher-value products rather than exporting it raw. The release, however, records calls and priorities rather than new funding or agreements. The test, as Nelson framed it, is whether the continent can turn its policies into processing capacity.
On October 19, at the Destiny Arena in Haatso, a ministerial roundtable on mineral value addition and beneficiation gathered government representatives, continental institutions and international development organisations. The session was part of the African Minerals Policy Forum, also known as the Mining in Motion Conference, held in Accra. The question before the room was how African countries can stop shipping out raw minerals and start processing and manufacturing them at home.
Mrs Justina Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana's Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), used the platform to argue for stronger regional cooperation. According to a release shared with the Ghana News Agency, she said joint work on investment, geological data sharing and mineral processing would build regional value chains and help African countries keep more of the value their resources generate.
Her argument rested on several points. Efficient management of mineral resources, she said, is essential to securing lasting benefits for present and future generations. Policies that attract investment and promote value addition along the whole mining chain, she added, could create jobs, strengthen local industries and raise economic returns.
She also stressed the need to share geological data. A better shared understanding of Africa's critical mineral resources, she said, would help countries identify opportunities to use them well.
Nelson then turned to implementation. She called for effective enforcement of existing policies and legislation, saying that commitments to beneficiation have to become tangible investment and practical outcomes. The remark pointed to a gap between declared intentions and what has actually been built.
Participants in the roundtable named what viable mineral processing industries would require: affordable and reliable energy, access to finance, transport infrastructure, geological data and technical skills. They called for stronger regulatory frameworks and better coordination among governments, investors and development institutions. They also pointed to the chance to process minerals such as lithium into higher-value products, rather than exporting them in raw form.
The Mining in Motion Conference, abbreviated AMPF-MiM, is a platform adopted by African Heads of State. It aims to harness Africa's mineral resources for inclusive economic growth, industrialisation and sustainable development.
The release describes calls and priorities, not new commitments, funding or agreements. The test Nelson herself set is whether existing policies are implemented and whether regulators, governments, investors and development institutions coordinate well enough to turn beneficiation pledges into processing capacity.
Citazioni salienti
Commitments to beneficiation must translate into tangible investment and practical outcomes (paraphrased).— Justina Nelson, CEO, Minerals Income Investment Fund
Collaboration in investment, geological data sharing and mineral processing would strengthen regional value chains (paraphrased).— Justina Nelson, CEO, Minerals Income Investment Fund
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Politics & Governance