Transforming Africa’s mineral resources requires five connected areas of work: energy and infrastructure access, subsurface knowledge, predictable governance, community protection and more balanced international partnerships. This was the direction presented by Liberia’s Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung at the opening of the African Mining Policy Forum–Mining in Motion (AMPF–MiM), held in Accra on October 19–21, 2026.
His remarks form part of a continental debate shaped by growing demand for copper, lithium, manganese, graphite and other strategic minerals. African reserves attract new capital, but most processing chains remain outside the continent. The issue is therefore not simply increasing extraction, but building conditions for producing countries to negotiate, process and market greater value.
Energy and infrastructure as prerequisites
The Liberian official’s first priority concerns power grids and shared infrastructure. Concentration, refining and metallurgical units need stable, competitive electricity. In several mining areas, power access remains expensive or unreliable, while roads, railways, ports and water facilities are not always sized to support new industrial hubs.
Joint energy and mining planning can reduce these constraints. A power or transport corridor designed solely for one major project risks underuse when the mine closes or changes pace. Conversely, infrastructure serving multiple operators, factories and communities can sustain more lasting economic activity. This approach nevertheless requires coordination among states, companies, electricity producers and financiers.
Knowing the subsurface better and negotiating with information
The second priority concerns geological surveys, laboratories and rule quality. Field data help governments understand resources’ value and characteristics before signing contracts or granting permits. Reliable maps and analytical capabilities reduce information asymmetry between states and companies and can attract explorers willing to invest within a clear framework.
Governance is equally decisive. Transparent licensing, predictable timelines and contracts open to public scrutiny can encourage real investor competition. Stable rules do not mean governments must abandon development goals; rather, they enable both parties to assess obligations, risks and expected benefits before committing capital.
Making social and environmental benefits last
The third area combines site restoration, inclusion of women and young people, and benefits for host communities. Closure and rehabilitation plans must be prepared from project inception, rather than when production nears its end. Technical training and access to skilled jobs can broaden benefits beyond temporary construction roles.
This requirement is particularly important where mines represent a substantial share of local activity. Communities need to know how commitments will be financed, monitored and assessed. Public indicators on local employment, training, domestic purchasing, water and land rehabilitation would help compare promises with results and correct shortcomings during operations.
The fourth priority concerns artisanal and small-scale mining. Formalization can improve worker safety, mineral traceability and access to legitimate markets. It cannot, however, be reduced to licensing: authorized sites, geological services, verified purchasing channels and suitable financing are needed. Preventing child labor and criminal exploitation remains fundamental to the sector’s legitimacy.
Partnerships measured by results
Finally, the vice president advocated international collaboration based on technology transfer, skills development and local value creation. Foreign investment can bring capital and market access, but its contribution depends on negotiated terms: training, local suppliers, knowledge sharing and support for industrial infrastructure.
These principles are widely shared at mining forums. Their application nevertheless remains uneven, as countries compete for the same capital and projects face high energy costs, political risks and complex logistics. Regional coordination on standards, infrastructure and processing could strengthen states’ negotiating power and reduce duplicated investment.
The Accra speech thus provides a framework for assessing African mining policy: announcements must be followed by budgets, enforceable rules and verifiable indicators. Success will depend on governments’ ability to connect production with infrastructure, skills and regional markets. This implementation, more than stating principles, will determine whether mining expansion becomes lasting industrialization.