As the global mining industry faces growing demands for sustainability, inclusivity, and local value addition, Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) is making a strong case that Africa’s greatest competitive advantage lies in its women.
Executive Director of WiM-Africa, Dr. Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, stated this during a recent hybrid gathering of women miners and entrepreneurs in Sierra Leone.
A statement signed by her in Abuja captures her urgent call for bold action noting that it’s time to stop seeing women as an afterthought in mining but recognize them as a strategic pillar for economic growth, resilience, and innovation.
“When women are excluded or forced to compete for crumbs, we waste economic potential. But when we collaborate and build together, we activate a value chain that has been sitting idle for decades” Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji states
According to the statement, Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji argues that Africa cannot fully industrialize or realize the full value of its mineral wealth if it continues to treat women as participants rather than economic architects.
“Women are not a social issue to be ‘included’; they are economic actors to be empowered,” she emphasizes.
“In artisanal mining, collaboration isn’t a feel-good concept—it’s the difference between stagnation and scaling. In the formal sector, it’s the difference between survival and sustainability.”
The statement urges women miners, entrepreneurs, and organizations to move away from destructive competition and toward shared enterprise models, joint ventures, and regional networks that improve access to capital, technology, and markets.
It also cautions that fragmented approaches—where organizations and leaders compete for visibility, resources, or territory—undermine long-term sectoral growth.
“No single organization, no single country, can drive inclusive mining transformation alone. We need structures that build continuity and scale impact,” Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji stresses.
National Women in Mining (WiM) organizations across Africa are being encouraged to replicate WiM-Africa’s proven models—including its fellowships, leadership development frameworks, and NextGen programs designed to prepare young African women for leadership in mining policy, ESG, innovation, and enterprise.
This engagement follows closely on the heels of the successful validation of WiM-Africa’s 2025–2030 Action Plan—a $150 million blueprint for empowering women across the mining value chain.
The Action Plan, fully aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Africa Mining Vision, lays out a clear roadmap: build women-led cooperatives, advance mineral beneficiation, attract investment into women-owned enterprises, and promote inclusive governance in mining.
“Women are not just the moral face of mining—they’re the economic drivers we’ve been ignoring,” Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji concluded. “If Africa is serious about leading in responsible, value-added mining, we must put women at the center—not on the sidelines.” Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji adds.
