The Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chairman African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dr Dele Alake, has affirmed the commitment of the African continent to equipping women with requisite skills to participate actively in the mining sector value chain.
Giving a goodwill message virtually at the International Women’s Day Forum 2024 organised by the Women Miners Association, the minister lauded the organisers for putting the progress and plight of women in the mining sector on the front-burner, emphasising the importance of investing in the development of women for leadership in the industry and governance.
According to the minister, “We live in a world in which no one, no gender must be left behind. This is the logic of progressive transformation that we desire.
“The African Minerals Strategy Group is committed to empowering women with appropriate skills to enable them participate in the mining sector value chain, from exploration and extraction to processing and commerce. We support access to technical training in mining for our young women. We support start-up financial assistance for women mining entrepreneurs, and we champion the inclusion of women in the leadership of regulatory agencies.”
He disclosed further that the AMSG under his leadership would initiate annual studies on the progress Africa is making in the aforementioned areas and publish findings on subsequent International Women’s Day.
To that extent, he charged the African continent to be resolute in its resolve to make value addition the strategy for wealth retention, stressing that African Ministers of Mining are determined to put in place policies that discourage export of raw materials, but rather encourage industrial processing of minerals into semi-finished goods for exports.
