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Alake Advocates Mine Emergency, Community Recovery Fund to Curb Mining Disaster Losses in Africa
Joel Ajayi
The Solid Minerals Development Minister and chairman of Africa Minerals Strategy Group, AMSG, Dele Alake has advocated a Mine Emergency and Community Development Fund.
Addressing dignitaries at the third AMSG High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development, held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, on Monday, the minister also proposed an African safety facility to formalise artisanal mining and promote co-operatives in member countries.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, chaired the event, which African ministers of mining attended.
The minister lamented the tragedy of mine collapses in Africa, citing huge losses in Congo and the Central African Republic and the recent cases of detained suspects of illegal mining who died in Nigeria.
His words: “Each time one of these tragedies occurs, I have had the painful responsibility, as the chairman of this Group, of conveying our condolences. But condolences, however sincere, cannot be the limit of continental solidarity. Behind every casualty figure is a family that has lost a breadwinner, a child who may no longer return to school, a household pushed deeper into poverty and a community left to cope with a disaster for which it was never equipped.”
He praised artisanal and small-scale miners for supporting millions of livelihoods across the continent and supplying minerals to domestic and international markets, urging governments to formalise rather than criminalise them.
“If AMSG can mobilise governments, financiers and investors around the billion-dollar mineral corridors, we should also be capable of mobilising expertise and resources to prevent miners from entering unsupported pits without geological guidance, basic safety systems or credible emergency response, “he said.
Alake also signed the Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration, CIEAD, to provide the political assurance to co-ordinate bilateral and multilateral projects.
He said the declaration will facilitate predictable regional infrastructure and processing investment and encourage governments to collaborate on continental projects.
Earlier, Vice President Shettima called on AMSG to champion African industrial development by co-operating with foreign companies and governments based on shared values and mutual gains.
Stating that no foreign government can protect the interests of African countries better than the countries themselves, Vice President Shettima said Africa’s mineral resources must be used to modernise the continent and provide better living conditions.
The third AMSG High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals also featured discussion sessions involving experts from regional agencies, international institutions, and captains of the mining industry.
Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Finance Corporation Samaila Zubairu commended the AMSG, arguing that African countries can no longer wait to industrialise if they must feed, house and clothe a billion people in the next 24 years.
To confront the challenge, Zubairu said African governments must collaborate across regions as unilateral efforts cannot cope with the proportion of the problem.
News
DNKI President Champions Humanitarian Service, Sustainable Community Development
Cyril Samania
The President of De Norsemen Kclub International (DNKI), Chief Oliver Patrick Ityohegh, has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to humanitarian service, stressing the importance of supporting vulnerable people and improving community welfare beyond the annual celebration of Humanitarian Day.
Ityohegh stated this during the organisation’s Cauldron Night and Award Presentation held to commemorate its 2026 Humanitarian Day celebration, theme: “Humanity First: Advancing Hope, Dignity and Community Well-being.” organised by the DNKI Abuja Chapter.
He emphasised that humanitarian service should be a continuous responsibility driven by compassion, solidarity and a commitment to making a meaningful difference in society.
According to him, DNKI’s humanitarian activities reflect its dedication to giving back to society and supporting people in need, while encouraging members to sustain initiatives that promote human dignity and community well-being.
He added that the organisation would continue to strengthen its humanitarian engagements through practical interventions aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable people and promoting community development.
Speaking at the event, the representative of the Abuja Chapter Chairman and Chairman of its Advisory Council, Prince Efiong Okpe, said the organisation’s humanitarian activities extended beyond the annual celebration of Humanitarian Day on October 15.
Okpe explained that DNKI undertook several initiatives throughout the year, including blood donation exercises, visits to hospitals and correctional centres, as well as support for orphanages and other vulnerable groups.
According to him, the organisation also collaborated with humanitarian bodies in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to identify areas of need and provide assistance within its available resources.
He described Humanitarian Day as an opportunity for members to renew their commitment to service and demonstrate solidarity with people facing difficult circumstances.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Planning Committee and Coordinator of the DNKI Gwagwalada Zone, Mr Etudaiye Hamzat, disclosed that the chapter had provided financial assistance to some members to help pay their children’s school fees, alongside distributing bags of rice and other relief items to members experiencing hardship.
Hamzat explained that the interventions followed concerns over the difficulties some members faced in meeting their family responsibilities, particularly the rising cost of their children’s education.
He maintained that supporting members in need was consistent with the organisation’s humanitarian principles, adding that DNKI remained committed to extending assistance to non-members and vulnerable communities as part of its commitment to leading by example.
Looking ahead, Hamzat said the Abuja Chapter planned to expand its humanitarian outreach to remote communities within the FCT, with particular attention to orphanages, schools and widows facing difficulties in meeting their family responsibilities.
He also recalled previous interventions for internally displaced persons (IDPs), which included the distribution of food, clothing and educational materials, noting that the chapter intended to scale up such initiatives in the coming year.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to outstanding members and distinguished non-members in recognition of their contributions to humanitarian service.
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