The Oxford Global Think Tank on Tuesday unveiled a major policy report titled Reforming African Minerals for Prosper Africa (RAMP Africa) at a high-level event held in Abuja.
The report, which is the culmination of extensive research and stakeholder consultations across Africa, seeks to reposition the continent’s vast mineral wealth as a springboard for industrialisation, sustainable development, and regional prosperity.
Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, emphasised that massive investment in Africa’s mining sector is critical for unlocking its full economic potential.
According to him, Africa can no longer afford to export raw minerals without value addition, stressing that the time has come for the continent to rethink its approach to mineral resource management and beneficiation.
“Powering, electric, vehicles, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, computing. This report stands, both as a call to reflection, and an invitation to more generous action. Today’s global transition is no longer fought in factories alone,” Kalu said.
He added, “It is anchored in what I call the new factors of economic production, which are computing power, chips, and data. Nations that master these issues will prosper. Those who fail, will surrender their sovereignty and their future.
“Yet, the hard truth is that Africa still exports raw arms and imports finished technologies,” he said.
Kalu urged African governments and private sector players to leverage the capital market as a sustainable financing mechanism for mining and mineral development. He noted that traditional dependence on foreign direct investment and external borrowing had often left African countries vulnerable to exploitative agreements and external shocks.
The RAMP Africa report identifies policy bottlenecks, governance gaps, and environmental challenges impeding the growth of the mining industry across Africa. It calls for integrated reforms that link mining to local manufacturing, renewable energy, and critical infrastructure.
The event brought together lawmakers, industry experts, investors, civil society leaders, and representatives from development institutions.
Discussions centred on how to balance the drive for economic growth with environmental sustainability, ethical mining standards, and community participation.
With over 30 percent of the world’s mineral reserves, including cobalt, lithium, gold, and rare earth elements, Africa is strategically positioned to play a defining role in the global energy transition.
The RAMP Africa initiative, according to participants, provides a timely policy direction for transforming that potential into real economic power.
According to its website, the Oxford Global Think Tank (OGTT) is an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organisation committed to fostering open dialogue and research.