The Executive Director of Women in Mining Africa, Dr. Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, has emphasized the need for Africa to build strong market intelligence, processing capacity, and commercial infrastructure to gain greater value from its mineral resources. Speaking ahead of her participation as a roundtable speaker at the Shanghai Metals Expo 2026 in China this November, Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji highlighted the importance of moving beyond celebrating Africa's vast mineral deposits. Africa must develop the systems needed to influence how its minerals are valued globally.
Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji noted that the growth of new centres for metals trading, processing, and price discovery offers Africa an opportunity to strengthen its position in the global minerals market. To achieve this, Africa must bring together its producers, geological data, processing facilities, laboratories, financial institutions, and regional markets. This integrated approach will enable Africa to become more relevant in the markets where value is determined.
According to Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji, Africa cannot build pricing power simply by having minerals beneath its soil. The continent must put its African mineral ecosystem together to become more relevant in the markets where value is determined. This requires a comprehensive approach that includes investing in processing, reliable mineral data, certification, traceability, and access to finance.
The need for Africa to develop its mineral ecosystem is becoming more urgent as global demand grows for copper, lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earths. Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji emphasized that Africa's focus should not only be on exporting raw minerals but also on investing in processing and value addition. This will enable the continent to move beyond selling minerals at the mine gate and increase its participation in the value chain.
Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji also called for stronger links between African producers and international buyers. Better access to prices, testing facilities, and market information would help women and smaller producers move beyond selling minerals at the mine gate. This would also provide an opportunity for African producers to participate in the global minerals market and increase their revenue.
The Shanghai meeting, organized by Shanghai Metals Market, will focus on “Eastern Pricing 2.0: Integrating Futures, Physical Markets, Industry and Finance for the Next Stage of Global Metals Pricing.” Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji said the roundtable would provide an opportunity to discuss how global metals pricing can better connect with African production and value addition. This will enable Africa to build stronger trading systems and increase its participation in the value chain.
Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji added that Women in Mining Africa would continue to promote cooperation among governments, mining companies, financial institutions, laboratories, processors, and other stakeholders. The participation in Shanghai follows the expansion of strategic cooperation between Women in Mining Africa and Shanghai Metals Market. Africa must increasingly participate not only in mineral extraction but also in processing, trading, finance, and value creation to gain greater value from its mineral resources.
Key points
- Africa must develop strong market intelligence, processing capacity, and commercial infrastructure to gain greater value from its mineral resources.
- The growth of new centres for metals trading, processing, and price discovery offers Africa an opportunity to strengthen its position in the global minerals market.
- Africa must bring together its producers, geological data, processing facilities, laboratories, financial institutions, and regional markets to become more relevant in the markets where value is determined.
