Africa Must Stop Raw Mineral Exports, Says Dele Alake

By Hannah Yemisi

At the Kenya Mining Investment Conference and Exhibition 2026, Dr. Dele Alake, Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, called on African nations to halt raw mineral exports and coordinate policies to capture greater value from critical minerals. Speaking against the backdrop of rising global demand for minerals used in clean energy and digital systems, Alake warned that fragmented national approaches weaken Africa’s negotiating power and economic outcomes. “For decades, Africa has remained largely an exporter of raw materials… this model has constrained industrial growth,” he said, advocating harmonised regulations, cross-border infrastructure, and intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

DECISION HIGHLIGHT
Strategic push for continent-wide policy alignment and value addition to reposition Africa within global mineral supply chains.

DECISION MEMO
Alake’s intervention reflects a structural recalibration of Africa’s extractive model, from volume-driven exports to value chain integration. The emphasis on regional coordination acknowledges that individual national strategies lack scale to influence global pricing or negotiate favourable terms with multinational off-takers.

The Africa Minerals Strategy Group, expanding from 16 to 31 member states, signals growing political alignment, but execution risk remains high. Harmonisation of mining codes, infrastructure financing, and regulatory enforcement requires sustained political convergence, historically weak across the continent. The proposal also assumes that value addition, through processing and refining, can be competitively achieved despite Africa’s infrastructure deficits and energy constraints.

The framing of minerals as a gateway to industrialisation, rather than a standalone sector, shifts policy discourse towards economic sovereignty. However, without credible investment frameworks and stable policy regimes, the transition from resource extraction to processing hubs risks stalling at the planning stage.

DATA BOX
Africa Minerals Strategy Group membership: 16 countries (2023) to 31 countries (current)
Key resources: Lithium, cobalt, manganese, graphite, rare earth elements
Current model: Predominantly raw material exports
Constraint indicators: Limited processing capacity, weak infrastructure, import dependence
Policy instruments: African Continental Free Trade Area; regional mineral coordination platforms
Economic loss: Billions of dollars annually from value leakage

WHO WINS / WHO LOSES
Winners: African governments capturing higher value; local industries in processing and manufacturing; labour markets through industrial job creation.
Losers: Commodity exporters reliant on raw mineral trade; foreign processors benefiting from Africa’s current supply structure; states unable to meet infrastructure and governance thresholds.

POLICY SIGNALS
Signals a shift towards resource nationalism framed through regional cooperation rather than unilateral control; prioritises industrialisation, policy harmonisation, and intra-African trade integration.

INVESTOR SIGNAL
Indicates emerging opportunities in mineral processing, refining, and infrastructure development. However, investment viability depends on regulatory clarity, cross-border coordination, and long-term policy consistency.

RISK RADAR
Policy fragmentation across jurisdictions; infrastructure financing gaps; energy supply constraints; governance and transparency deficits; global competition from established processing hubs; risk of stalled implementation despite political commitments.