Mining in Motion Summit ends with calls to formalise small-scale mining and improve access to finance

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The Mining in Motion Summit has ended in Accra with calls for better access to finance, stronger cooperation between mining companies and small-scale miners, and improved policies to make artisanal mining more responsible and productive across Africa.

On the third day, Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, miners, financial institutions, policymakers and industry representatives explored practical ways to address the challenges facing artisanal and small-scale mining.

READ ALSO: Mining in Motion Summit opens in Accra with calls for Africa to process its own minerals

The final day focused on how to help small-scale miners operate legally, access funding, use safer mining methods and contribute lasting benefits to communities.

The three-day event, held from October 19 to 21 under the patronage of His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was organised around the theme “One Continent. One Voice on Minerals. Aligning Africa’s Mineral Future.” Its central message was that Africa must work together to process more of its mineral resources locally and retain greater economic benefits from mining.

One of the key sessions on the final day was titled “Incentivising Formalisation: Building a Responsible, Productive and Inclusive ASGM Sector in Africa.”

The discussion examined why many artisanal and small-scale gold miners operate outside formal systems and what governments, financial institutions and industry players can do to encourage them to register and operate legally.

Nellie Mutemeri, Adjunct Professor at the School of Mining Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, said financial institutions often struggle to support small-scale miners because of concerns about the environmental damage associated with some mining activities.

She also noted that some miners are reluctant to formalise their operations because they fear being identified by the authorities and having to pay taxes.

The discussions highlighted the need to make formalisation more attractive by improving small-scale miners’ access to finance, geological information, technology and legitimate markets.

Prof. Fatima Denton also called for greater attention to the environmental effects of mining. She said miners should be educated on how to restore land after mining so that the environment is left in a better condition.

She further emphasised the need to understand the reasons people turn to mining, including pressures on cocoa farmers and other landowners, while ensuring that the growth of mining does not come at the expense of agriculture.

The session reflected the wider aim of the summit to move small-scale mining away from informal operations towards a system that supports business growth, protects the environment and provides lasting benefits to communities.

Another session examined how artisanal and small-scale miners could cooperate with large-scale mining companies. The discussion focused on how large companies could share geological information, technical knowledge, training, processing facilities and market connections with smaller operators, while ensuring that partnerships are fair.

Godwin Armah of the Federation of Small-Scale Miners in Ghana said land allocation must consider both small-scale and large-scale operators to prevent conflict.

He stressed the need for the two groups to work together.

Armah also raised concerns about political interference in mining areas and said land designated for small-scale miners should not be affected by political interests.

He also called for incentives that would encourage illegal miners to formalise their operations, arguing that cooperation between the different players was necessary to address the challenges in the sector.

Jonathan Hamisi, Senior Policy Advisor at the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining (IGF), in his remarks, said the government needed to clarify the roles of the different stakeholders and establish a clear process for formalisation.

He added that small-scale miners should be involved in developing mining policies that affect them, rather than being left out of the decision-making process.

Emmanuel Baidoo, Senior Manager for Community Relations at AngloGold Ashanti Africa, said large-scale mining companies were looking to work with stakeholders to address misunderstandings and improve cooperation.

The discussions reinforced the need for better planning, access to reliable geological data and clear rules to help smaller and larger mining operators work together.

The final day also featured a workshop organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), which focused on developing an Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Enterprises (ASME) Hub for Africa.

The proposed hub is intended to help small-scale miners and businesses become more professional, improve access to funding and markets, and retain more value from minerals produced on the continent.

Delivering the opening remarks, Ngone Diop, Director of the UNECA Subregional Office for West Africa, said Africa had significant natural resources that could transform the lives of its people if properly managed.

She stressed that mineral wealth should contribute to long-term economic and social development across the continent.

The proposed hub would support partnerships, improved government policies, access to geological data, more secure mining rights and better access to finance.

It would also provide a platform for governments, miners, financial institutions, large-scale mining companies and development partners to work together on improving the sector.

The workshop was designed to gather input from stakeholders on how the hub could be structured, funded and managed.

During the UNECA workshop, David Mparutsa of Absa Bank explained that lending to small-scale miners requires financial institutions to consider several risks.

These include whether the miners will be able to repay loans, how the money will be used and whether the funded activities could harm the environment.

He noted, however, that financial institutions were increasingly willing to engage with artisanal and small-scale miners to explore responsible financing opportunities and possible partnerships.

The discussion highlighted how improved business records, clear mining rights, responsible environmental practices and stronger market links could help miners become more attractive to lenders.

Better access to finance could also enable small-scale mining businesses to invest in equipment, improve productivity and adopt safer processing methods.

The final-day discussions built on the issues raised during the first two days of the Mining in Motion Summit.

On Monday, October 19, President John Dramani Mahama called for Africa to move beyond exporting raw minerals and focus on local processing and refining.

He announced a target for Ghana to end exports of unprocessed mineral ores by 2030, as part of efforts to create jobs, strengthen local industries and retain more value from the country’s mineral resources.

The opening day also brought together government officials, African Union representatives, mining companies and investors to discuss mineral policy, regional cooperation and industrial development.

Tuesday, October 20, focused on public-private dialogue, investment, access to capital and stronger cooperation between governments and the mining industry. Discussions also considered how Africa could secure more economic benefits from its mineral resources.

On the final day, attention was shifted towards practical ways to improve artisanal and small-scale mining, including formalisation, land access, financing, environmental protection and cooperation with large-scale operators.

The proposal from UNECA for a regional mining enterprise hub added to the discussions on how African countries could build stronger local businesses around their mineral resources.

The three-day summit ended with a shared focus on building a mining sector that creates more jobs, supports local businesses, protects the environment and allows African countries and communities to retain a greater share of the wealth generated from their natural resources.

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