President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to chair the Third High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development in Africa as the continent seeks to expand local processing and gain greater economic value from its vast mineral resources.
The meeting, scheduled for September 21, 2026, in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, will bring together African heads of government, ministers, investors, development finance institutions and major players in the global mining industry.
The Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), which announced the meeting, said the discussions would be held under the theme, “From Resources to Wealth: Continental Cooperation for Mineral Value Addition.”
The roundtable will focus on boosting investment, deepening cooperation among African countries and building competitive mineral value chains across the continent.
AMSG said Africa needed to expand domestic processing and develop integrated value chains to turn its mineral endowments into industrial growth and wider economic opportunities.
The continent possesses some of the world’s largest deposits of critical minerals, including lithium, copper, cobalt, graphite, manganese and rare earth elements. However, many of these resources are still exported largely in raw or minimally processed forms.
The meeting is also expected to feature the launch of the Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration (CIEAD), a framework designed to promote cooperation on mineral processing, investment, supply-chain security and policy coordination.
A proposed CIEAD Finance Window will seek to mobilise funding for mineral processing facilities, infrastructure and technology needed to strengthen Africa’s mining value chains.
AMSG said rising global demand for critical minerals presents an opportunity for Africa to expand manufacturing, promote technology transfer, develop infrastructure and create jobs while supporting sustainable economic growth.
The organisation said Africa must shift from being primarily a supplier of raw materials to becoming a key participant in the global critical mineral’s economy.
