On the 21st of September 2026, African mining ministers, private sector leaders, and top global investors gathered in New York City on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly for the 3rd Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development in Africa. Convened under the theme of transitioning from strategy to execution, the gathering culminated in a historic turning point for the continent’s natural resources sector: the signing of the Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration (CIEAD) by participating AMSG member ministers.
The Roundtable was opened under the patronage of His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, represented by His Excellency Kashim Shettima, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Delivering the Ministerial Opening Address, AMSG Chairman and Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Henry Alake, declared that the continent is officially moving “from strategic priorities to concrete execution,” stressing that Africa has shifted “from the thinking into the doing.”
The signing of the Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration (CIEAD) by initial signatories Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Liberia marks a fundamental paradigm shift for Africa’s natural resources sector. By interlinking the strategic interests of mineral-producing, transit, processing, and manufacturing nations, the CIEAD provides the political assurance and standardized operational frameworks necessary to de-risk scale-driven mining projects across borders.
Central to the declaration is the establishment of Strategic Mineral Corridors, collective geological mapping, verifiable digital traceability, and shared Regional Processing Hubs anchored by baseline sovereign equity structures.
Emphasizing the necessity of this integrated approach, H.E. Anthony P. Mavunde, Minister of Minerals of the United Republic of Tanzania, noted that critical minerals are “the literal building blocks of our modern technological, industrial, and green transition futures”. However, unlocking their full potential requires more than just extraction. “It demands deep collaboration, transparent partnerships, smart policy frameworks, and a firm commitment to local capacity building and environmental stewardship,” Minister Mavunde stated.
Crucially, the declaration calls on major development finance institutions to back these regional projects. Key roundtable partners are already demonstrating how institutional and private capital can plug directly into the declaration framework.
AFC President and CEO Mr. Samaila Zubairu urged the immediate prioritization of three clear, bankable cross-border projects, emphasizing that institutional lenders require concrete execution timelines to deploy capital at scale. Complementing this institutional momentum, Gemcorp Capital Founder and CEO Mr. Atanas Bostandjiev highlighted how private investment houses can partner directly with sovereign states to deploy flexible capital across high-impact mining, energy, and logistics assets.
Adding an operator-level perspective, H.E. Ambassador Bridgette Motsepe, Founder of Mmakau Mining and Special Envoy for Inter-Africa Trade, reinforced the necessity of indigenous ownership and sustainable operator models in executing the declaration’s vision. Broadening this commercial and private sector coalition, the active involvement of strategic roundtable partners including the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), First Bank Plc, Asba and Wisdom International, Romulus Mining, and AFA Mining Fund demonstrates the comprehensive ecosystem of project developers, operators, and financiers required to translate the declaration into ground-level execution.
Outlining Washington’s strategy during the declaration unveiling, a U.S. Department of State official emphasized a commitment to partnering with African nations through reciprocal frameworks, such as the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement, and the State Department’s U.S.-Africa Strategic Investment Program to accelerate commercial transactions and establish a transparent, competitive playing field for private American investment.
Reflecting the broad global momentum behind the AMSG, the roundtable drew active participation from a strong coalition of sovereign delegations, multilateral bodies, and international observers. Key participating delegations included the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Chad, the Gambia, Zambia, Mozambique, Sudan, Morocco, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates, alongside leadership from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the International Trade Centre, and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). The roundtable also hosted diplomatic delegations from key G7 and industrial economies, including France, Germany, Canada, Italy, and Turkiye.
About the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG)
​Established in January 2024, the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) is an intergovernmental organization comprising African mining ministers and heads of state. AMSG is dedicated to advancing geological data sovereignty, local value addition, coordinated regulatory policy, and joint investment mobilization to ensure Africa’s mineral wealth drives sustainable industrialization and economic growth across the continent.