By Kizito CUDJOE
The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) is calling for a review of mining policies to align with the growing demand for transition minerals.
It argued that minerals essential for renewable energy technologies require a focus on value addition and environmentally sustainable extraction methods.
Africa Senior Programme Officer-NRGI, Denis Gyeyir, highlighted the importance of reviewing existing regulations. “As we begin to mine these minerals, it is crucial to assess the policies and laws governing their extraction.”
Transition minerals such as lithium and bauxite, among others, play a key role in the global energy shift. It is given this that the NRGI is advocating for frameworks which ensure their extraction benefits local economies while mitigating environmental harm.
“We initiated discussions with the Minerals Commission earlier this year to revise the mining policy. We understand that consultations with other stakeholders are ongoing,” Mr. Gyeyir explained.
However, he maintained: “The 2014 mining policy must be reviewed – if not under this administration, then by the next – to align with the requirements of transition minerals”.
Mr. Gyeyir noted that the existing policy lacks provisions for value addition, which he said is critical for transition minerals. “We must aim to process these minerals locally to add value,” he added.
He also highlighted the need for stricter environmental protections, given the unique challenges associated with transition minerals. “We must prevent illegal artisanal extraction and ensure adherence to global environmental standards,” he said, adding that such standards aim to minimise harm to communities and ecosystems.
NRGI’s global president is part of the UN panel on transition minerals, which has developed seven guiding principles for responsible extraction.
Mr. Gyeyir stressed the importance of incorporating these international standards into local policies, laws and procedures. “Our goal is to ensure these principles are domesticated and reflected in the regulatory framework for transition minerals,” he stated.
The Africa Senior Programme Officer-NRGI, who was speaking in an interview on the sidelines of a workshop about NRGI’s updated corruption diagnosis tool for critical minerals, stressed the importance of oversight in the transition minerals space.
The training sought to enhance understanding of corruption risks in transition mineral extraction and trade; build capacity to prevent, detect and combat corruption; foster collaboration among stakeholders (government, industry, civil society); and develop practical skills for anti-corruption advocacy.
“We are doing these trainings to ensure the issue of corruption – or instances – and governance are generally considered first in the review of all mining policy for laws and processes. For example, processes such as approval processes by parliament must be free from all kinds of influences; even the relationship between political party financing and the award of some of these contracts must also be brought into consideration,” he stated.
He said NRGI has developed some 10 red-flags. “These are signals that show where corruption risks can be pronounced.”
It is given this, he said, that NRGI brought all these stakeholders together, including the media – an important stakeholder in terms of investigating and unravelling corruption to build capacity.
