Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has again won the confidence of Africa as Ministers of Minerals across the continent re-elected him Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG).
Alake was returned unopposed at the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the 24-member ministerial forum, held on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was first elected pioneer chairman of the group in 2024.
The AMSG serves as a continental platform for African countries to align policies, deepen cooperation and drive value addition and beneficiation from the continent’s vast mineral resources.
In a major shake-up aimed at strengthening its structure, the forum approved new leadership positions, including Vice-Chairman, Deputy Secretary-General and Financial Secretary, with offices zoned across Africa’s sub-regions to ensure balance and inclusion.
Under the new arrangement, Alake continues as Chairman representing West Africa, while the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of Mines, Hon. Louis Watum Kabamba, emerged Vice-Chairman for Central Africa. Uganda retained the Secretary-General position for East Africa, Mauritania was appointed Deputy Secretary-General for North Africa, and South Africa was zoned Financial Secretary for Southern Africa.
The ministers also approved a two-year tenure for the executive committee and resolved that zoned positions belong to countries, meaning successors automatically assume office if ministers change.
Speaking after his re-election, Alake thanked his colleagues for the renewed confidence and urged African nations to unite to unlock economic growth through solid minerals development. He called for agreed financial contributions by member states to strengthen accountability, transparency and the credibility of the AMSG.
“Once members contribute, accountability will follow, and our collective voice will be stronger globally,” he said.
The forum further agreed to hold quarterly ministerial meetings, set up standing committees on finance, sustainability and institutional affairs, and work towards hosting a global minerals conference in Africa.
Earlier, at a leadership roundtable on infrastructure funding for mineral production, Alake said Africa’s mineral wealth would not translate into prosperity without strong infrastructure, coordinated policies and deliberate value addition.
He cited corridors such as Lobito, Lagos–Abidjan, Walvis Bay and Dar es Salaam as models that could drive regional integration, industrial growth and long-term stability if properly financed and managed.
According to him, the AMSG’s vision is to ensure Africa’s mineral infrastructure is responsibly financed, efficiently managed and aligned with transparency and shared prosperity.
