Latest news with #minerals
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
As Opec shapes oil, so must Africa define the mineral economy
Africa stands at the centre of the global mineral economy. As nations race to secure their future, the minerals driving clean energy, advanced industry, and modern defence have become instruments of power. No longer mere inputs, they now determine who leads and who lags behind. Cobalt, lithium, rare earths, graphite, and manganese have moved from being niche industrial inputs to becoming central pillars of global power. They are no longer materials in the background. Today, they shape the technologies that drive economies, structure energy systems, and define military strength. They shape everything from how we drive and power our homes to how nations secure their technological edge. What was once seen as raw material is now strategic infrastructure. And Africa sits on more of it than most care to admit. These are not side notes in global supply chains. They are signs of Africa's rising strategic relevance. The continent's resources do more than power technology. They define leverage in a changing world. Without Africa, the transition falters. The real question is no longer whether Africa matters. It is whether Africa will shape the rules that govern its own value. Africa holds the minerals that drive today's technologies, but the value they create is still captured elsewhere. The continent fuels global supply chains yet it has little say in how those chains are built or who benefits most. The continent extracts and exports, while others process, price, and profit. The system was not designed for Africa to lead. That is exactly why it must now be reimagined. The resources come from African soil, yet the rules are written elsewhere. This is not a reflection of geological fate. It is the result of political choices, institutional weakness, and an outdated economic architecture that continues to externalize Africa's value while internalising its vulnerabilities. That model must be dismantled. These resources are not geological accidents. They are instruments of global power. These minerals are not simply resources. They shape who holds power in the world: Who drives the economy, who commands influence, and who sets the rules. Africa cannot afford to treat them as mere exports. They must be governed with discipline and unity, guided by a long-term vision rooted in sovereignty and shaped by Africa's own priorities. This contradiction is not new. For decades, Africa's minerals have fuelled industrial revolutions elsewhere while leaving behind depleted landscapes, underdeveloped infrastructure, and fragile public institutions. The extractive model mirrors the colonial logic. Raw materials leave, wealth accumulates abroad, and African states are left to manage the residue. As the global competition for supply intensifies, this pattern risks repeating itself unless African governments take bold, deliberate action. The shift must begin with mindset and posture. Africa must move from being a site of extraction to a centre of strategic leverage. Its minerals are not just economic goods. Africa holds real leverage. But that leverage means nothing if it is wasted on scattered policies, backroom deals, or short-term fixes. Minerals alone do not build strength. Strategy does. What we need now is one path, one vision, driven by sovereignty, built on industry, and owned by the continent. Governments must reassert authority over mineral governance. Licensing must be transparent. Contracts must be renegotiated in the public interest. Strategic minerals must be classified and protected accordingly. But domestic reforms alone are not enough. Africa's bargaining power grows exponentially when states act together. The African Union and African Continental Free Trade Area must become active platforms for regulatory harmonisation and collective negotiation. As Opec reshaped oil, Africa must now define its own terms in the mineral economy. It must be a rule shaper, not a rule taker. It is time to end the export of raw minerals. Cobalt, lithium and graphite should not leave African soil without being processed. Real value comes from how minerals are used, not just how they're mined. Africa must steer at every level of the value chain: Refining, processing, manufacturing, and innovation. That is how real power is built, industries take root, and sovereignty is secured. That requires more than resources. It calls for infrastructure, investment, skilled talent, and the political will to lead. Above all, it will require political resolve. Processing our own resources is not optional. It is strategic necessity. Africa must also rethink how it partners. For too long, foreign investment has delivered extraction without transformation. The future lies in joint ventures that create value at home where African countries hold equity, access technology, and share decision-making power. While China remains a major player, Africa must diversify and define the terms of engagement. Partners from Southeast Asia, Latin America and beyond offer alternatives. But all partnerships must serve African priorities, not external agenda. The age of one-sided dependence must end. This new strategy must also centre the people. Environmental justice and community rights must come first. Unchecked mining has caused deep harm, uprooted families, and denied communities any say. Those who live near these resources deserve a voice in decisions and a share in the value. Local equity, clear consultation and environmental safeguards are not burdens. They are the foundation of legitimacy. Accountability must be enforced not just by governments, but by civil society, media and citizens. Some countries have begun to chart this path. Bans on raw mineral exports, new national policies and renegotiated contracts point to a growing awareness. But these efforts need to move beyond the national level and be scaled into a continental strategy. This is a rare convergence: Global dependence on minerals and African leverage over supply. The world needs what Africa has, but for the first time in decades, the terms are not yet settled. Africa should not let this moment pass. This is not just about wealth; it is about who controls the future and who continues to be left behind. The resources are here. The power lies in what Africa chooses to do with them. The mineral revolution is already underway. The question is not whether Africa will take part, it is whether it will lead. A lot more will depend on the willingness of African states to act with unity, ambition, and strategic clarity. The global economic order is changing rapidly. Africa must move faster and move together. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Oman: Enhancing opportunities for SMEs in energy sector
The Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ASMED) recently held its 14th dialogue session on enhancing opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the energy and minerals sector. The session aimed at focusing on improving the business environment and making it more attractive to enterprises in this sector. As part of ASMED's efforts to partner and integrate with relevant entities to improve the business environment for SMEs, the dialogue session focused on opportunities in the energy and minerals sector. The session was attended by Eng Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, and Halima bint Rashid al Zariyah, Chairperson of the Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ASMED), along with officials from relevant authorities and owners of small and medium enterprises in the energy and minerals sector. Adnan al Harrasi, an entrepreneur in the chemicals sector, said, "I had some ideas to share that needed to be discussed. The dialogue session provided a platform for entrepreneurs to raise issues and obstacles hindering their projects and find appropriate solutions from relevant authorities in each vital sector." The session covered various topics including policies, legislation, licences and enablers that support SMEs in developing innovative solutions and partnerships in the energy and minerals sector. It also aimed to enhance the role of SMEs in the sector by presenting innovative ideas, improving operational efficiency, encouraging government and private partnerships, and raising awareness of the sector's importance in supporting the national economy. 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
E&E News
7 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
Interior advances first offshore mineral lease in decades
The Interior Department on Thursday took a step toward launching what could be the first mineral lease in U.S. waters in more than 30 years. The department announced it plans to publish a request for information and interest in the coming days to mine the deep seas off of American Samoa, a U.S. territory in the Polynesia region of the South Pacific. Upon publication in the Federal Register, the agency will take public comment for 30 days. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a statement said the administration is putting 'America first' and moving to unlock vast stores of offshore minerals and ease the nation's reliance on countries like China. Advertisement President Donald Trump in April inked an executive order to boost deep-sea mining, part of a broader push to open the nation's land and waters to more mining and production of minerals.
Arab News
12-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan, Saudi firm launch $150 million minerals complex to cut imports, boost exports
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched a $150 million minerals processing complex in Punjab province in collaboration with Saudi-based Anfal Group, a private industrial company, aiming to reduce chemical imports and expand mineral-based exports, state media reported on Thursday. The initiative is being facilitated through the provincial government of Punjab and Pakistan's Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) — a powerful civil-military body established in 2023 to fast-track foreign investment in key sectors such as mining, agriculture, energy, and information technology. The council brings together civilian ministries, the military, and provincial governments to streamline decision-making and reduce bureaucratic delays in large-scale projects. The new complex is part of Pakistan's push to attract foreign investment into its underdeveloped mineral sector. The project is expected to save Pakistan approximately $2.9 billion annually by substituting chemical imports and will create new export opportunities for processed minerals, including rock salt. 'The project will... open new opportunities for the export of key chemicals, including rock salt,' Radio Pakistan reported. The Anfal Group's engagement marks one of the first foreign-led projects under the SIFC's investment umbrella in the minerals sector. Based in Saudi Arabia, Anfal specializes in industrial chemicals, construction materials, and salt processing. Its entry into Pakistan aligns with Islamabad's broader strategy to partner with Gulf investors in value-added resource development. With global demand rising for critical minerals, Pakistani officials hope such partnerships will help transform the sector from a largely extractive industry into one that generates jobs, revenue, and export earnings through processing and value addition. Pakistan holds untapped mineral reserves worth an estimated $6 trillion, including copper, gold, lithium, coal, rock salt, and iron ore. Despite this, the sector contributes just 3.2 percent to GDP, and mineral exports account for less than 0.1 percent of global trade. The country produces around 68 million tones of minerals annually, yet value addition remains minimal, with most raw materials exported without processing. Notable reserves include the massive Reko Diq copper and gold mine in Balochistan, which is being developed by Canada's Barrick Gold in partnership with Pakistani state entities. Pakistan also hosts the world's second-largest salt mines, significant coal reserves in Sindh's Thar region, and emerging lithium deposits in northern Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In April, Pakistan hosted its first Minerals Investment Forum, where the government unveiled the National Minerals Harmonization Framework 2025, intended to streamline licensing, regulation, and investment facilitation in the extractives sector.
Zawya
12-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Oman: Dialogue session to boost SME involvement in energy, minerals sectors on June 15
Muscat – The Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ASMED) in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Minerals will host a dialogue session on June 15, under the theme 'Enhancing Opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises in the Energy and Minerals Sector'. The session is part of ASMED's ongoing efforts to empower small and medium enterprises and highlight emerging opportunities in strategic sectors. The energy and minerals sector, in particular, is seen as vital to Oman's long-term economic growth and diversification agenda. The event will bring together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to explore ways to strengthen SME participation in the energy and minerals industries. Discussions will focus on unlocking investment opportunities, addressing key challenges, and formulating policies that foster an enabling business environment for entrepreneurs and SME owners. ASMED stated that the dialogue session will reflect the national direction to enhance SME contribution to the GDP and to create new opportunities for innovative ventures in line with Oman Vision 2040. The vision places strong emphasis on the role of SMEs as engines of sustainable growth and diversification in the sultanate's economy. The authority also noted that the session will support the development of practical solutions and collaborative frameworks that allow SMEs to better access the energy and minerals sector. It aims to enhance competitiveness, strengthen partnerships, and create a more attractive and dynamic business ecosystem for local entrepreneurs. ASMED has invited SME owners and aspiring entrepreneurs from across the sultanate to take part in the session. Registration is open through the following link: © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
