From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) has taken a groundbreaking step toward reshaping the future of Africa’s mining sector with the successful validation of its 2025–2030 Action Plan. The plan outlines a bold, inclusive, and sustainable roadmap to ensure women’s leadership, economic participation, and climate resilience are at the heart of Africa’s mineral development agenda.
The high-level validation workshop brought together a powerful coalition of stakeholders, including African First Ladies, policymakers, development institutions, NGOs, private sector leaders, and representatives from mining communities. Together, they endorsed a $150 million continental framework designed to advance gender equity, value addition, and responsible mining practices over the next five years.
Aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Africa Mining Vision, AMREC, PARC, GEWE Strategy, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the WiM-Africa Action Plan is more than policy—it is a catalyst for systemic change.
In her remarks Dr. Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, Executive Director of WiM-Africa, said it is not just a document, but a continental commitment to action, adding that It offers a clear roadmap for women miners, youth leaders, and allies to move from the margins of survival to the center of Africa’s mineral wealth creation and governance.”
According to her,the Action Plan will deliver transformative programs including:Establishment of Regional Multi-Mineral Beneficiation Laboratories
Expansion and capacity building of national WiM chapters,investment-readiness support for women-led mining enterprises, implementation of ESG and climate resilience programs,launch of the WiM-Africa Institute for Leadership, Sustainable Mining & Value Addition, a pan-African hub for research, youth development, and innovation.
In her keynote address Mrs. Mariem Mint Dah, First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, declared the Action Plan a “validated, working, and living document” that represents the future of inclusive transformation in Africa’s mining sector.
“Women are not just participants in development; they are its very heartbeat,” H.E. Mrs. Mint Dah affirmed. “Empowering women in mining is not optional—it is a developmental necessity.”
Highlighting progress in Mauritania, where 30% of ministerial roles are held by women, the First Lady reaffirmed her country’s full commitment to supporting this bold vision, backed by the Government and People of Mauritania.
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