The United States Institute for Peace (USIP) has identified foreign mining operations as a significant threat to Africa’s prosperity, citing security risks and regulatory violations.
Speaking at the Early Career Scholars Conference in Abuja on Friday, Dr Chris Kwaja, USIP’s Country Director, warned that foreign companies are exploiting Africa’s critical minerals through artisanal miners, often bypassing governmental regulations.
“There is the fact that foreign companies are expanding their interest and influence in Africa as a counter to Western interests,” Kwaja stated.
He further highlighted that while these foreign entities dominate the mining sector, the environmental and health consequences of their operations remain poorly documented.
“This is a responsibility that policy and academic actors should take seriously,” he urged.
Kwaja also criticised the lack of adherence to environmental protection laws by foreign firms, calling it a “defining feature” of external involvement in Africa’s critical mineral sector.
“As these companies get involved in the extraction of critical minerals, they do so with little or no regard for rules and regulations as they exist in African economies,” he said.
To mitigate the growing risks, he called for tighter regulations, stronger monitoring mechanisms, and stricter legal frameworks to safeguard both the environment and host communities.
