Justina Nelson calls for regional cooperation on mineral value addition

Justina Nelson, the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), has urged African nations to prioritize regional cooperation as a catalyst for mineral value addition. Speaking at the African Minerals Policy Forum in Accra, she argued that the continent must move away from the simple extraction and exportation of raw materials toward a more integrated industrial approach. The forum, held as part of the Mining in Motion Conference, convened key stakeholders to address the challenges of local processing and resource management.

Nelson identified several critical areas for collaboration, focusing on the sharing of geological data and the creation of joint investment frameworks. She emphasized that individual countries often lack the scale to build comprehensive processing facilities alone, but by pooling resources and information, they can develop competitive regional value chains. This strategy would allow minerals such as gold, lithium, and bauxite to be refined within the continent, thereby capturing a greater share of the global market value and fostering indigenous industrial growth.

In addition to technical cooperation, Nelson stressed the need for stronger regulatory frameworks and the effective implementation of existing mineral policies. She noted that a harmonized regulatory environment across African borders would significantly enhance investor confidence and attract the capital necessary for large-scale value-addition projects. Participants at the forum discussed the importance of efficient resource management and the need for governments to provide the necessary infrastructure to support a burgeoning mineral processing industry.

The MIIF CEO concluded by reiterating that the goal of these initiatives is to ensure that Africa’s mineral wealth translates into sustainable economic development and long-term prosperity. By focusing on value addition and regional synergy, the continent can reduce its dependence on raw material exports and build more resilient economies. The discussions in Accra signal a growing consensus that collective action and policy implementation are essential for transforming the mining sector into a primary driver of African industrialization.