By: Celestine Avi and Seth Eyiah
President John Dramani Mahama has called for stronger African control over the continent’s critical mineral resources, arguing that the global demand for minerals used in green energy and digital technologies should translate into greater economic benefits for African populations.
He said Africa’s mineral wealth had increasingly exposed communities to conflict and exploitation instead of delivering prosperity.
Presenting the 2026 Tana State of Peace and Security in Africa Report in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, President Mahama cited the links between mineral extraction and armed conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as disputes surrounding uranium in Niger.
He argued that genuine resource sovereignty required African governments to possess the legal, administrative and economic capacity to manage strategic assets, negotiate fair agreements and ensure that proceeds from extraction improved the livelihoods of local communities.
President Mahama said political independence and international representation were insufficient if African countries lacked effective control over their natural resources.
He urged African governments and private-sector operators to promote domestic value addition and invest in supply chains that create jobs and retain more wealth on the continent.
He maintained that resource governance must place the interests of local communities at the centre of national development and security policies.
