Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has expressed optimism that the fifth edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) will fundamentally shape Africa’s policy and investment decisions for generations to come.
Speaking on Wednesday at a pre-summit press briefing in Abuja, where he was represented by M.D/CEO of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, Mr Martins Imonite, the Minister highlighted AFNIS’s evolution into the continent’s premier platform for natural resource dialogue.
Scheduled to take place from June 23rd to 25th, 2026, in Abuja, the summit is designed to foster cross-border partnerships, drive sustainable development, and attract crucial capital to benefit Nigeria and the wider African continent.
Centering on the theme “One Africa, One Resource Vision,” this year’s summit acknowledges that the challenges and opportunities facing Africa’s resource sector can no longer be tackled through isolated national policies.
Dr. Alake emphasized that long-term continental success relies on heightened collaboration across critical minerals, energy infrastructure, regional value chains, and technology transfer. Against the backdrop of skyrocketing global demand for critical minerals, the conference arrives at a pivotal moment, encouraging nations to fortify their supply chains and pivot from simply exporting raw materials to becoming regional hubs for value creation, local processing, and shared economic prosperity.
What distinguishes AFNIS 2026 from its predecessors is its aggressive, deliberate shift toward a focus on implementation. The entire summit architecture has been engineered to facilitate immediate, direct transactions between African governments, project developers, and financiers.
By integrating dedicated sovereign meeting rooms, ministerial dialogues, CEO roundtables, and project de-risking engagements, organizers intend for participants to leave Abuja not just with fresh ideas, but with concrete, actionable partnerships and practical execution pathways for their respective energy and mining projects.
The summit’s growing continental relevance is underscored by its high-caliber roster of confirmed attendees, representing some of Africa’s most critical mining and energy jurisdictions. Senior government officials and ministers from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Somalia, Liberia, and Mauritania are set to participate.
This convergence extends beyond state actors to include development finance institutions, sovereign wealth funds, commercial banks, and geoscience experts, creating a unique ecosystem where decision-makers and private capital can realign on infrastructure financing and regional industrial corridors.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Engr. Faruk Yabo—represented by the Director of IPMT, Mrs. Esther Nkechi Udo—praised AFNIS’s transformation into a definitive market gathering. He noted that the summit is central to the Ministry’s mission of building a mining sector that is simultaneously competitive, profitable, and socially responsible.
Engr. Yabo stressed that key objectives remain rooted in driving local value addition, integrating technology, and converting critical mineral potential into inclusive wealth for citizens, while acknowledging the media as a crucial partner in fostering industry transparency.
Offering a financial lookback, Archibald Troko, Director of Strategy and Platform Development for Core International, revealed that the previous four AFNIS summits have successfully secured more than $600 million in business deals. These events have catalyzed tighter trade agreements, unified regional policies, and established higher development standards across the continent.
Troko also recalled that AFNIS and the African Mining Strategy Group (AMSG) previously launched the ambitious, $1 billion Africans for Africa Fund at the 2024 summit to mobilize domestic capital with a projected 15% net internal rate of return, noting that further investment breakthroughs will be unveiled this year.
Having historically hosted over 5,000 delegates and ministerial delegations from more than 30 states—alongside major institutional backing from the AfDB, AFC, IFC, European Union, and United Nations—AFNIS continues to scale its impact. Organizers confirmed that 20% of Africa’s mining and natural resource ministers have already finalized their attendance for the upcoming June sessions. As Abuja prepares to host this massive gathering, stakeholders are poised to transition from policy concepts to major transactions that will unlock Africa’s vast green industrial potential.
