Egypt launches African forum for mining regulators AFMRA

Egypt launched an African forum for mining regulators in Cairo on Sunday, seeking to strengthen regulatory cooperation, exchange expertise, and help the continent attract investment and increase the value generated from its mineral resources.

The African Minerals Regulatory Authorities Forum (AFMRA) was launched ahead of the opening of the Egypt Mining Forum on Monday, providing a continental platform for cooperation among national institutions overseeing the mining sector, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi said.

AFMRA will support the development of mining legislation and regulations, improve the management of mineral resources, and help create a more transparent and stable environment for investment, Badawi said.

The launch was attended by Moses Micheal Engadu, secretary-general of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG); Yasser Ramadan, chairman of the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA), and heads of mining authorities, regulators, and other officials from several African countries.

Badawi said the platform would facilitate the exchange of expertise and best practices, and discussions on mining policies and legislation, helping gradually narrow differences between national regulatory frameworks.

It would also promote greater alignment and flexibility in regulatory and operational frameworks while preserving African countries’ sovereignty over their natural resources and facilitating investment, trade and economic cooperation across the continent, he said.

Cooperation among African mining regulators has become increasingly important as global demand for minerals grows and the continent seeks to increase the economic returns from its mineral wealth, Badawi said.

Developing Africa’s mining sector requires effective regulatory institutions capable of managing geological data, developing mining registries, improving licensing systems, and strengthening transparency and governance, he said.

Such reforms would help the continent move beyond the extraction and export of raw minerals toward higher-value economic activity, investment opportunities, and sustainable development, Badawi said.

Egypt considers African cooperation and the exchange of mining expertise a priority, and the launch of AFMRA reflects its support for efforts to improve the continent’s mining investment environment and strengthen the competitiveness of African mineral products in global markets, he said.

The platform will focus on geological data governance, mining registries, licensing procedures, technical expertise, and institutional capacity building.

Ramadan said the establishment of AFMRA reflected growing recognition that unlocking Africa’s substantial geological potential required strong regulatory institutions and a stable investment environment.

Participants also stressed the need to move beyond the extraction and export of raw minerals towards greater processing and manufacturing within Africa, saying this could increase value added, create jobs, and raise economic returns from the continent’s mineral resources.

They proposed establishing a permanent continental technical mechanism under AFMRA to maintain coordination and knowledge-sharing among regulators and strengthen transparency and governance in mining-related transactions, including challenges involving financial transactions and money transfers.

Participants also called for the gradual development of African mechanisms to track the origin and movement of minerals through supply chains, aiming to improve transparency and reliability in global markets while respecting national sovereignty.