AfCEN

WAIIS Strategic Minerals TWG — pipeline, workstreams & exploration fund

Joseph Nganga

Joseph Nganga

— 1 min read
Share

Strategic Minerals TWG Sets Course for WAIIS 2026 with US$50bn Pipeline

The Strategic Minerals Technical Working Group has confirmed the architecture for West Africa’s mineral value-addition agenda ahead of the WAIIS Summit in Freetown, 16–19 November 2026.

Seven outcome areas, five workstreams

Seven outcome areas from the Expert Group Meeting anchor the pillar: a regional minerals exploration fund, a West Africa digital cadastre, a beneficiation and value-addition strategy, a mineral traceability framework, ASM formalisation, local-content capacity building, and standardised geological data reporting.

Five workstreams have been adopted to advance these outcomes:

  • Exploration Fund
  • Beneficiation & Value Addition
  • Digital Cadastre & Geological Data Standardisation
  • ASM Formalisation & Local Content
  • Mineral Governance Harmonisation / Responsible Sourcing

Priority minerals include bauxite, lithium, gold, graphite, manganese, and iron ore.

A US$50bn pipeline

The TWG adopted a three-tier project pipeline — Boardroom, Deal-Room, and Tracked — using the WAIIS digital platform as the source-controlled data room. An indicative pipeline of approximately US$50 billion across 60 projects in 10 ECOWAS Member States is now in the system.

Global Alliance convening

The Global Alliance for Responsible and Green Minerals has been established, with WAIIS to host its first summit-level convening in November. A Private Sector Advisory Board has also been launched to guide private-sector readiness and investment.

Next steps

A pre-Summit ministerial review and workshop is expected around October 2026, ahead of the November Summit. Project sponsors and investors can engage through the WAIIS digital platform.

Read more