African First Ladies have supported a new $150 million plan called the Women in Mining Africa (WIM-Africa) Action Plan, which will run from 2026 to 2030. The goal is to help women move from basic survival to playing an important role in Africa’s mining industry.
This support was shared during an online meeting. The First Lady of Mauritania, Mariam Mint Dah, said women are very important in Africa’s mining communities but are still being left out of major opportunities in the mining business.
Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, the Executive Director of WIM-Africa, explained the five-year plan. She said Africa has a lot of mineral wealth, but women are often pushed to the background. This plan aims to change that by giving women more chances to lead and benefit from the mining sector.
The plan includes seven key goals. These include women-led businesses in mining, women-only mining areas and groups, support for environmental and social issues, climate change efforts, and legal help for women in mining.
The plan will be carried out in five stages:
Year 1: Set up over 30 national chapters and build strong foundations
Year 2: Strengthen programmes and work on legal support
Year 3: Focus on research, cooperatives, and regional growth
Year 4: Build leadership labs and train young people
Year 5: Check progress, ensure sustainability, and prepare for the future
WIM-Africa also introduced its main programme. This includes building labs to process different minerals, offering leadership and technical training, starting climate projects, and setting up factories that add value to raw minerals. These will be linked to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
There are already plans for specific centres across Africa: a lithium and gemstone hub in Nasarawa State (Nigeria), gold and diamond centres in Sierra Leone, diamond and gemstone projects in Botswana, gold projects in Tanzania, cobalt and copper in the Democratic Republic of Congo, phosphate in Morocco, and gold and manganese in Ghana.
Asokoro-Ogaji said the $150 million plan will not rely only on donations. It will use a mix of funding from governments, private companies, development banks, and donors.
