The Africa Union’s (AU’s) African Mining Vision (AMV) is a crucial instrument for achieving the goals of Agenda 2063 by unlocking the full potential of Africa’s natural resources sector, asserts AU trade and industry commissioner Fatima Haram Acyl.

The AMV is a pathway formulated by African nations to ensure the continent’s long-term and broad development objectives are made an integral part of all policies relating to mineral extraction. The AMV also sets out how mining can be used to drive continental development.

The AMV emphasises the transformative role played by the minerals sector in the national development goals of African countries.

“The AMV targets mining companies, including oil and gas, chambers of mines and other mining associations, and it is based on principles that can be aligned with corporate core values, policies, strategic plans and the mission statements of companies in the extractive sector,” she notes.

Agenda 2063 is both a vision and an action plan. It is a call for action to all segments of African society to work together to build a prosperous and united Africa based on shared values and a common destiny.

Heads of States and governments of the AU have dedicated themselves to the continent’s accelerated development and technological progress.

African governments are increasingly becoming more assertive in developing long-term visions for the mineral resources to increase local content, move up the value chain and increase intersectoral linkages between the minerals and nonminerals sectors as a result of adopting the AMV.

Acyl highlights that the AU, in partnership with its AMV implementing partners, which include the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme, and through the AU technical institution, the African Minerals Development Centre, is “fully committed” to ensuring effective public–private partnerships with a view to formulating a shared vision on how mineral resources exploitation can promote the broad-based development and structural transformation of Africa.

She stresses that, for the AMV to be successfully implemented, women must be empowered in all facets of the extractive mineral industry, from exploration to mining, and within middle management and all senior leadership and ownership positions in the industry.

Acyl was addressing delegates at training and conferencing company Intelligence Transfer Centre’s recent Women in Mining conference, in Johannesburg, via video link.