Shifting paradigms will live up to the African Mining Vision
“So, our approach, which is rooted in the Africa Mining Vision (AMV), represents a paradigm shift. We have absolutely no doubt that building on other complementary initiatives and working together with the private sector, civil society and public sector, the AMV truly represents a win-win for all, says Dr Kojo Busia, acting coordinator, African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) and keynote speaker in the opening session of the upcoming DRC Mining Week conference and expo in Lubumbashi from 23-24 June.
The AMDC was set up in 2013 to coordinate the implementation of the African Mining Vision, as adopted by the African Union Heads of State and Government.
African Mining Vision’s new paradigm
Busia says the AMDC is really proud of what they have accomplished so far in less than five years. This is a very short time for initiatives of this kind, and the AMDC has emerged as a leading and distinctly legitimate centre of excellence on mineral sector management, for AU member states and regional economic communities (RECs). AMDC is achieving success in demonstrating how the AMV's new paradigm for linkages-based mineral sectors management, represents a win-win for governments as well as the industry.”
He continues: “A cross-section of public, private and civil society sector actors are actively collaborating in the AMDC's work. Such collaboration is remarkable in itself, given the sensitivities that typically underpin the sector. It also highlights another key element of our work, in that AMDC has facilitated collaborative engagement and participation for an inclusive range of public, private and civil society stakeholders, with a concrete, actionable focus on women and youth as well.”
Valuable lessons can be learned
“The AMDC's research indicates that it is not necessarily due to weak institutions and ineffective regulations that countries continue to be unable to take advantage of booms. It is rather the lack of long-term vision and effective policies, which create weak institutions and laws, unfit for transforming the mining sector in Africa,” Busia says.
“Valuable lessons can be learned from what is happening in almost every country, across different stages of the mineral development trajectory including new entrants, emerging and major mining countries and at different segments of the mining value chain. Perhaps I could cite one example that cuts across multiple geographic regions of Africa, where we have been most active so far. Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi and Sierra Leone have made commendable progress towards reforming their mineral regimes along the AMV principles, in a manner that seeks to facilitate optimal outcomes for the countries as well as for investors.”
