A high-level conference examining the nexus between governance, critical minerals, and conflict in Africa is underway in Accra, with policymakers, civil society actors, and industry leaders calling for reforms that place people at the centre of decision-making.The three-day conference, organised by the Open Society Foundations, runs from July 27 to 29 at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra.The conference brings together policy analysts and stakeholders from across Africa to deliberate on the role of critical minerals in shaping the continent’s economic future while exploring ways to strengthen governance, economic justice, and sustainable development.It is also serving as a platform for dialogue, reflection, and collaboration among leaders and practitioners working to advance democratic governance, peacebuilding, and shared prosperity across Africa.Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director of Democratic Futures in Africa at the Open Society Foundations, Dr Chukwuemeka B. Eze, said Africa’s mineral wealth alone cannot guarantee development or peace without transparent, accountable, and inclusive governance systems.“The link between critical minerals and peace is not automatic. Where governance is transparent and inclusive, these resources can drive development. Where it is weak, they can deepen inequality and fuel instability,” Dr Eze said.He said communities located close to mineral resources must have greater influence in decisions regarding their exploitation and the benefits derived from them.“Too often, those closest to the resources are the least involved in decisions about them. We must change this by ensuring community ownership and participation in governance processes,” he added.Dr Eze warned that increasing global demand for critical minerals could expose African countries to new forms of dependency if they fail to coordinate their strategies and protect the continent’s interests.“Global demand is rising, and with it comes pressure. If African countries do not act together, we may reinforce dependency instead of building strength and resilience,” he said.He noted that Africa has a limited opportunity to transform its mineral resources into lasting economic benefits by moving beyond the export of raw materials towards industrialisation.“Africa has a narrow window to transform its mineral wealth into real economic gains. We must move beyond extraction to industrialisation and ensure that revenues benefit our people,” Dr Eze stated.According to him, the conference seeks not only to examine existing challenges within the critical minerals sector but also to identify opportunities that can support a more sustainable future for Africa.“We are not just looking at what is wrong that exists with these critical areas, but we are looking at the future. How can we use the opportunities that are presented by themselves to now advance a new charter for Africa and African citizens?” he said.Dr Eze explained that the discussions are intended to move beyond treating critical minerals, governance and conflict as separate issues while encouraging stronger collaboration among governments, civil society groups, policymakers, and the media.He also highlighted the importance of investing in education, research, and local expertise to enable African countries to process their own resources and maximise the benefits of mineral wealth.He said developing local capacity would be critical to ensuring that Africa gains greater control over its resources and creates sustainable opportunities for its people.Governance determines mineral benefitsThe call for stronger governance systems was echoed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Alexander Kofi-Mensah Mould, who said Africa’s resource wealth must be strategically managed to deliver lasting benefits.Mr Mould said the global transition towards cleaner energy, emerging technologies, and advanced manufacturing has transformed critical minerals from ordinary natural resources into strategic assets, creating significant opportunities for Africa.He, however, cautioned that natural resources alone do not guarantee prosperity, noting that countries with abundant mineral wealth have experienced different outcomes depending on how effectively those resources are managed.“The difference was never simply the resource. The difference was governance,” he said.Mr Mould explained that effective governance goes beyond managing resources efficiently, adding that it requires fairness, trusted institutions, and meaningful participation of communities affected by mining activities.He said when citizens feel excluded from the benefits of their natural resources, opportunities created by those resources can become sources of frustration and instability.He urged African countries to move beyond extracting and exporting raw minerals by developing industries, strengthening technology, and building local capabilities to create lasting economic value.According to him, Africa’s future depends on partnerships that attract investment while ensuring greater ownership, leadership, and capacity across the mineral value chain.He called for a shift towards developing mineral value chains, strengthening support industries, advancing technology, building skills, and empowering African enterprises.Africa must build value chainsAlso speaking at the conference, Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy Augustus Goosie Tanoh said Africa’s critical minerals represent more than an economic opportunity, arguing that they raise fundamental questions about governance, ownership, and development.“Critical minerals are not simply geological or mining issues,” Mr Tanoh said. “They pose fundamental questions of political choice. Who decides? Who benefits? Who bears the environmental costs? And what remains when the mines are closed and the precious resources are exhausted?”He said the growing global demand for Africa’s mineral resources presents the continent with a critical choice—whether to use its resources to build industries and create jobs or continue exporting raw materials while value is created elsewhere.“The world definitely will use Africa’s minerals,” Mr Tanoh said. “The question is whether Africa will use them to build its own industry, create decent jobs, and strengthen peace, or be a collaborator and bystander in the systematic depletion of its finite resources for the benefit of other peoples and other economies.”Mr Tanoh noted that although African countries hold strategic positions in the production of several critical minerals, the continent has not yet translated that advantage into strong industrial value chains.“These are commanding positions in individual minerals,” he said. “They have not yet become commanding positions in the industrial value chains of these minerals.”He called for a move away from exporting raw materials towards developing local processing facilities, manufacturing capacity, and regional industries.Mr Tanoh stressed that industrial development must be accompanied by strong governance and environmental responsibility.He urged African leaders to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to create interconnected mineral value chains that support local industries and expand intra-African trade.Weak institutions remain Africa’s biggest governance challenge Adding a governance perspective to the discussions, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah said Africa’s development challenges cannot be attributed solely to the actions of individuals in leadership positions but are largely influenced by the strength of institutions and systems that support governance.Speaking during a panel discussion at the conference, Bishop Kukah argued that even well-intentioned leaders can struggle to deliver results when they operate within weak or ineffective systems.“Africa’s problem is not simply about bad people in leadership. It is often about good people surrounded by bad systems that allow wrong things to happen.”He identified the quality of public institutions, particularly the bureaucracy, as a critical factor in determining the effectiveness of leadership and the success of development efforts.“The quality of the bureaucracy is critical. You can have a good president with the best intentions, but if the system around him is weak or compromised, it becomes difficult to achieve meaningful results,” he added.Bishop Kukah urged African countries to take a closer look at how their societies are organised and the governance structures they rely on, stressing that sustainable development requires strong and accountable institutions.“We must begin to question how we organise our societies and the systems we build. Development will not come from slogans but from strong institutions that work for the people.”The conference is held amid growing global interest in critical minerals and the opportunities they present for Africa’s development, while also examining the governance challenges linked to their exploitation, including accountability, equity, conflict prevention, and the protection of community rights.