Held under the theme "Mineral Security & Strategic Partnerships: Leveraging Africa's Resources for Global Influence and Investment," the forum will explore how governments and industry can align investment frameworks, trade agreements and industrial policies to improve project bankability, accelerate value addition and position Africa as a strategic partner in the global critical minerals economy.

Critical minerals have become a defining feature of global economic and geopolitical strategy. According to UNCTAD, demand for minerals essential to the energy transition – including lithium, graphite, cobalt and rare earth elements – is expected to increase significantly through 2040 as countries expand renewable energy, battery manufacturing and electric vehicle production. With an estimated 30% of the world's critical mineral reserves, Africa is increasingly at the center of this global competition.

Rather than pursuing traditional resource agreements, governments are increasingly negotiating broader strategic partnerships that combine mining investment with infrastructure development, industrialization, technology transfer and long-term economic cooperation.

Zambia is one example. The country is advancing negotiations on a proposed $2 billion partnership with the United States that would support investment in its health sector while strengthening U.S. participation in Zambia's critical minerals industry. The discussions align with Zambia's ambition to increase annual copper production to three million tons by 2031 and reinforce the country's position as one of Africa's fastest-growing copper producers.

The DRC is pursuing a similar strategy. Under the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in 2025, both countries are expanding cooperation on critical minerals, infrastructure development and supply chain security. The agreement supports the DRC's objective of attracting greater investment into its vast mineral endowment while strengthening downstream value chains and regional infrastructure.

Broader international engagement is also accelerating. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership is supporting investment across Tanzania, Mozambique, Botswana and Uganda in commodities including graphite, rare earth elements, manganese and nickel, while institutions such as the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and EXIM are mobilizing capital for strategic mining projects.

At the same time, Gulf investors – including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the UAE's ADQ and Qatar's sovereign investment institutions – are expanding their presence across Africa's mining sector as they seek to diversify long-term supplies of critical minerals. Europe, through the Global Gateway initiative, alongside China and Canada, is similarly strengthening cooperation with African governments through mining and infrastructure partnerships.

As governments increasingly view critical minerals as strategic assets underpinning energy security, industrial competitiveness and economic resilience, the Mineral Security Forum at AMW 2026 will provide a platform to examine how these partnerships can be translated into investable projects.