Lachlan Nieboer’s Post

The critical minerals industry in Africa is at at a critical junction. Will African countries reap the benefits? Or will it be the same old story of foreign companies capitalising of African critical resources. There is a delicate balancing act that must be achieved to ensure a win-win scenario for all stakeholders.

From the acquisition of a rare earths stockpile from a mine in the Northwest Territories to the purchasing of stakes in Canadian miners Solaris Resources and First Quantum, a recent spate of Chinese investment in Canadian mining projects has rightly sparked concerns. In the past three years, many Western nations including Canada have put out critical minerals strategies to promote friendly sources of supply and mitigate Chinese dominance in the sector. Yet we are still falling behind. At the same time, one empathizes with Canadian miners looking to China for investment; they are not finding it anywhere else. Junior and mid-sized miners are starved for capital even as Western politicians are proclaiming their commitment to the sector. Thankfully, there is a solution to the challenge of both reducing dependence on Chinese-controlled exports and boosting Western investment in our own supply. It is time to establish strategic reserves for critical minerals. #critical #mining #minerals #canada #strategy https://lnkd.in/gFUHfZ-V

Risk aversion is likely to leave major Western miners lagging in a race to tap Africa's reserves of critical raw materials that has gathered pace now Middle Eastern oil powers have begun to emulate China's years of investment on the continent. Attracting the capital needed to advance #copper, #cobalt, #nickel and #lithium projects in #Africa will be high on the agenda when executives, bankers and government officials gather in Cape Town, South Africa, for the annual African Mining Indaba beginning on Monday. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dyEeUNJk

IAMGOLD is proud to be a Nickel sponsor of the upcoming OECD - OCDE Conference of Mining Regions and Cities, which will take place from October 8 to 11 in Sudbury (Ontario). This year’s conference will bring together over 300 delegates from across the public and private sectors, academia, civil society and Indigenous organizations to discuss practices and strategies to increase well-being in #miningregions, with a focus on two key pillars: 🌐 Partnering for sustained development in mining regions 🌐 Future-proofing regional mineral supply for the energy transition Representatives from both our Côté Gold Mine and corporate office are looking forward to attending and contributing to important discussions in support of these dual goals, with an emphasis on ensuring #economic, social, and #environmental well-being for #localcommunities. Krista Maydew, IAMGOLD’s Vice President, External Affairs will be speaking on a panel to discuss "Indigenous-centred pathways for #sustainable futures in mining regions.” To learn more, visit: https://lnkd.in/gAu8_k_D

A new bold future! In an era where critical minerals are imperative for the just energy transition for the world to reach Net Zero by 2050; Africa must not be left behind and African states must ensure they embrace positive disruptive elements such as Technology and Artificial Intelligence to fully participate in the growing green economy and thereby also achieve the laudable economic growth and development objectives of the AfCFTA for Africa. Listen to Jackwell Feris and Njeri Wagacha as they discuss and provide their insights on the critical discussions taking place during this year's 30th Invest in Africa Mining Indaba under the theme “Embracing the power of positive disruption: A bold new future for African mining” in Cape Town.

Shifting geopolitics fuel a global scramble for Africa's mining riches as major players like the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and India seek strategic investments. Insights from this CNBC's article on the evolving landscape of Africa's resource-rich industries. #Geopolitics #Investment #AfricaResources #EconomicDevelopment #GlobalMarkets #CNBCInsights #SustainableMining #MineralsSecurity #Vision2030 #Africa #AfCFTA #2063

My latest for The Hub. There is a solution to the challenge of both reducing dependence on Chinese-controlled exports of minerals and boosting Western investment in our own supply: it is time to establish strategic reserves for critical minerals. Canadian foreign policy has been lacklustre of late. One area where we are still looked upon to lead—and retain some ability to do so—is in natural resources. Coming up with solutions to the problem of critical minerals supply that leverages the collective experience of our mining and investment community is an obvious place for Canada to contribute. https://lnkd.in/g8i89VYk

Africa boasts over 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, 8% of natural gas, and 12% of oil reserves. The continent has 40% of the world’s gold and up to 90% of its chromium and platinum. Yet it only produces around 5% of the world’s minerals. What can we do – collectively – to bring mining investment to this rich, under-utilized economy? At #Indaba this week, we heard from industry, entrepreneurs and governments who are ready to listen and take action to future-proof exploration and production. Strategic mineral extraction and trading initiatives (SMET) are creating transformative programs that address regulatory bottlenecks, improve infrastructure and bolster political stability. Major companies like Eurasian Resources Group have an important role to play in the continent: We have existing infrastructure, skills programs and the know-how – built over our many years of operation here – to support the transition, invest into the tech of the future, and mitigate potential investment risk. Our experience and effectiveness in frontier nations stand as proof that it can – 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 – be done. Thanks to the organizers Investing in African Mining Indaba for an incredible event – I’m looking forward to building on the important work we started. #MI24 #sustainablemining #smartexploration #resourcestech

The future is in Africa...

#China #Africa #mining On February 6, 2024, the four-day African Mining Investment Conference 2024 was inaugurated in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. Under the title "A New Future for Mining in Africa," heads of government, ministers and deputy ministers from many African countries gathered to discuss the future development of the mining sector with nearly 10,000 business representatives. At the opening ceremony, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a speech. He stressed that the African continent is rich in mineral resources, which are of great importance for the global energy transition. Africa therefore has the potential to become a key pivot in the global energy transition, particularly with mining at the center. Ramaphosa stressed that this conference should focus on exploring how to use this transformation to inject new vitality into the mining sector and consolidate its position in the mining value chain. The chieve words of the pro-China Ramaphosa were: news and Belt and Road projects. Since it was first held in 1994, the African Mining Investment Conference has become one of the most influential mining conferences in the world. The conference aims to bring together African government leaders, mining industry organizations and related companies to jointly discuss and promote the sustainable development of the mining industry.