Africa is set to intensify its push for greater control of its critical minerals resources as the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) convenes its Third High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development in Africa in Manhattan, New York, on September 21, 2026.
According to a press release issued Sunday by Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Omolara Owoeye-Wise, the high-level meeting, which will take place on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, is expected to bring together African Heads of State and Government representatives, ministers, investors, development finance institutions, multilateral organisations and Executives from the mining, technology, processing, logistics and mineral traceability sectors.
The Roundtable, themed: “From Resources to Wealth: Continental Cooperation for Mineral Value Addition,” will be chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chairperson of the AMSG General Assembly.
The meeting is expected to focus on how Africa can move beyond the long-standing practice of exporting raw minerals and instead develop processing, refining, manufacturing and other value-added activities within the continent.
Critical minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt, graphite, manganese and rare earth elements have become increasingly important to electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies and defence industries.
Africa holds significant deposits of many of these resources, but much of its mineral wealth continues to leave the continent with limited local processing and value addition.
AMSG said the New York Roundtable would seek to address this challenge by promoting integrated mineral value chains, attracting transformative investment, strengthening continental cooperation and improving Africa’s negotiating position in the global minerals market.
The meeting will also build on the Mutual Assured Development (MADE) Framework launched at the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) 2026 in Abuja.
According to AMSG, the New York meeting will represent a shift from strategic dialogue towards implementation, with the planned unveiling of the Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration (CIEAD).
The declaration is expected to establish a framework for cooperation among African countries in critical minerals, particularly in policy coordination, investment mobilisation, value addition, supply-chain security and minerals development.
A proposed CIEAD Finance Window will also be introduced to support innovative financing structures for mineral processing, infrastructure, technology and other areas required to develop Africa’s mineral value chains.
The Roundtable will be convened by the leadership of AMSG, with the participation of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, who is also Chairperson of the AMSG Ministerial Steering Committee, and the Secretary-General of AMSG, Moses Micheal Engadu.
The organisers said the meeting comes at a time when growing global demand for critical minerals is placing Africa at the centre of emerging economic and geopolitical competition.
They noted that the global transition to electric mobility, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and modern defence systems was increasing competition for secure and sustainable supplies of critical minerals.
AMSG said Africa should seize the opportunity to use its mineral resources to drive industrialisation, technology transfer, infrastructure development, regional trade and job creation instead of remaining primarily an exporter of raw materials.
The Roundtable will consequently examine practical strategies for developing competitive mineral value chains across African countries and attracting long-term investment into processing, refining, manufacturing and supporting infrastructure.
Ministerial representatives from AMSG member states, multilateral institutions and development finance institutions, including the Africa Finance Corporation, are expected to participate in the meeting.
Major global companies in mining, technology, mineral traceability and logistics have also been invited.
AMSG said the convergence of policymakers, financiers and private-sector players would provide an opportunity to connect Africa’s mineral resources with the capital, technology and expertise required to build sustainable value chains.
The organisation added that the Roundtable would focus on bankable opportunities, investment structures and policy alignment rather than declarations without practical implementation.
For AMSG, the September meeting represents an important opportunity for African countries to demonstrate their capacity to act collectively as critical minerals become increasingly central to global economic and national security strategies.
The group said Africa must move from being a passive participant in global mineral supply chains to becoming an active architect of the emerging global minerals economy.
The Third AMSG High-Level Roundtable is strategically partnered and supported by Core International.
AMSG was established in January 2024 by African governments as a continental intergovernmental organisation and specialised agency for critical minerals development.
The organisation serves as a platform for coordinating critical minerals policy, aligning investment, strengthening minerals security and enhancing Africa’s engagement with global partners.
Its mission includes strengthening Africa’s control over its mineral wealth, promoting local value addition, advancing continental cooperation and positioning the continent as a leading force in the global minerals economy.
