Africa must expand beneficiation, processing and regional value chains and must put its mineral ecosystem collectively if it intends to turn into extra related on the tables the place the value of minerals and metals is set.
This was the summation of Dr. Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, Executive Director, Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) on the Shanghai Metals Expo 2026 Roundtable tagged: ‘Eastern Pricing 2.0 — Integrating Futures, Physical Markets, Industry and Finance for the Next Stage of Global Metals Pricing.’
She mentioned, “We ought to progressively develop the capability to maneuver from exporting predominantly unprocessed minerals in direction of supplying merchandise that meet larger industrial specs.
“International prices respond to supply, demand, quality, inventories, financial conditions, risk and market expectations. Africa cannot simply announce the prices it wishes to receive”.
Asokoro-Ogaji added that having minerals will not be the identical as having pricing energy. “And mineral wealth alone doesn’t assure industrial prosperity.
“Our process is to translate mineral endowment into stronger establishments, aggressive companies, industrial growth and lasting financial alternatives.
“What we will do is strengthen our bargaining place, cut back data asymmetry, enhance product high quality and take part extra successfully within the business constructions by way of which minerals are traded.
“Consider an African producer selling copper concentrate. The value realised is not determined by the international benchmark alone. It also depends on mineral grade, moisture, payable metal content, treatment and refining charges, impurities, transport costs, contract terms and the producer’s ability to negotiate,” she mentioned.
She acknowledged that with out dependable laboratory testing, clear market data, applicable financing and entry to credible patrons, that producer could seize significantly much less value than its mineral useful resource may in any other case help.
“This is why Africa must begin to treat market intelligence, mineral testing, processing infrastructure and trade finance as strategic economic capabilities,” she mentioned.
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