The African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth (AFMMW) has issued a strong call to action for Africans to take control of the continent’s vast mineral resources.
They resolved that Africa must no longer play a secondary role in global mining and resource development.
At its Second Executive Board Meeting held in Lusaka, Zambia, the Federation — which includes major trade unions such as the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union — made sweeping resolutions aimed at reshaping the future of mining on the continent.
“We cannot take the backstage anymore,” declared AFMMW President Joseph Chewe, as the Federation unveiled plans to incorporate an investment company that will identify and develop mining assets across Africa for the benefit of its member unions and the continent’s people.
The move is grounded in what Federation leaders describe as a glaring contradiction: a continent rich in natural resources yet burdened by poverty.
“Africa is blessed with mineral wealth, but our people remain the poorest,” said AFMMW Secretary General Mohamed Ahmed Abdelhalim Ibrahim. “That must change — and it starts with us.”
The Lusaka meeting also saw a firm commitment to aggressively expand membership across the continent, with the aim of unifying all mining unions under a single powerful Federation. According to the leadership, a unified front is necessary to effectively advocate for workers’ rights, promote decent work, and improve occupational health and safety standards.
The Federation says it aligns its objectives with the African Mining Vision (AMV) — the African Union’s blueprint for sustainable mineral development.
“Our goals and the AMV go hand in hand,” Chewe noted. “We intend to work collaboratively with African governments and regional blocs like ECOWAS, SADC, EAC, ECCAS, CEN-SAD, and UMA to ensure Africa’s mineral wealth benefits Africans.”
Further resolutions include capacity building for member unions through exchange programmes, education, and training initiatives designed to deepen solidarity and strengthen organizational effectiveness.
The six-point declaration adopted in Lusaka was signed jointly by Chewe and Ibrahim, signaling a unified commitment to transforming the African mining sector.
The Federation’s third Executive Board Meeting will be hosted by the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union in Accra, Ghana, where it is expected to build on the Lusaka resolutions with concrete implementation strategies.
Founded on February 27, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt, the African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth serves as the sole continental voice for African mineworkers, with a vision to ensure that the continent’s natural wealth is used to benefit its people.
“This is more than a resolution,” Ibrahim concluded. “It is a movement — one that will shape the destiny of Africa’s mineral wealth for generations to come.”
