Nigeria entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) and pledged cooperation for the development of critical minerals on the continent. The signing took place on Thursday July 17, during the 4th African Natural Resource and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) in Abuja, where member states agreed to

The Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Onoja Attah, has reaffirmed the steadfast resolve of the special unit to stamp out illegal mining activities across Nigeria. Speaking during a media parley in Abuja, ACC Attah stated that the Mining Marshals remain “resolute and impressionable” in their mission to sanitise the

A partial collapse at a traditional gold mine in Sudan’s conflict-stricken northeast has left 11 miners dead and seven injured, according to the state-owned Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC). The incident occurred at an artisanal shaft within the Kirsh al-Fil mine, situated in the remote desert region of Howeid between the army-controlled towns of Atbara

Since 2020, military regimes that have seized power through coups across Africa’s Sahel region have intensified their efforts to assert greater control over their nations’ natural resources, targeting foreign mining companies as part of this strategy. The recent nationalisation of the local branch of French uranium producer Orano in Niger marks the latest in a

The Director General of the Oyo State Solid Mineral Development Agency (OSMDA), Abiodun Oni, has reiterated the state government’s commitment to curbing illegal mining and halting environmentally destructive activities. This follows a recent inspection of the Ibadan Circular Road corridor, where unlawful excavation has significantly damaged land spanning Egbeda and Lagelu Local Government Areas. Oni

The tranquil fishing town of Brenu Akyinim, nestled along Ghana’s scenic coast near Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality, has become the unlikely epicentre of a growing illegal mining crisis. As the lure of quick cash from ‘galamsey’—unregulated small-scale gold mining—spreads across the community, schoolchildren are increasingly trading classrooms for perilous night shifts on the beachfront.

Police in the Northern Cape have arrested 15 individuals linked to illegal mining operations and the possession of suspected unpolished diamonds. The arrests were carried out during a multi-disciplinary, intelligence-led initiative under Operation Vala Umgodi. Authorities received a tip-off about suspicious nighttime mining activities at a diamond site in Koingnaas. Acting swiftly on the intelligence,

The Federal Government of Nigeria has thrown its weight behind a $400 million foreign direct investment project designed to establish Africa’s largest rare earth and critical minerals processing facility in Nasarawa State. The project, spearheaded by Hasetins Commodities Limited, is projected to create over 10,000 jobs across Nigeria while enhancing the value of the country’s

Ghana’s battle against illegal small-scale mining, known locally as galamsey, is becoming increasingly perilous, as the activity evolves from rudimentary operations to a more militarised and organised enterprise. Once dominated by hand tools and basic methods, galamsey has now grown into a sophisticated, and often violent, underground industry with deep transnational connections. According to The

The Deputy Minister of Minerals, Dr Steven Kiruswa, has urged small-scale miners across Tanzania to develop a thorough understanding of the Mining Act, Chapter 123, and its associated regulations, highlighting that such knowledge is essential in preventing disputes that often disrupt mining operations and hinder the sector’s growth. Speaking during a recent visit to Ikungi