Poor governance in the mining sector is increasingly fueling insecurity across parts of Africa, according to John Kayode Fayemi, former Minister of Mines and Steel Development of Nigeria.

Speaking during Africa Week, hosted by the African Leadership Centre at King’s College London, Fayemi warned that the rapid expansion of mining activities in fragile regions can exacerbate conflict when governance structures are weak. He noted that mineral wealth often becomes intertwined with local grievances, illicit trade networks, and armed groups in conflict-affected areas.

“In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, competition over high-value minerals has intersected with armed group financing and regional instability,” he said.

Similar dynamics are unfolding in the Sahel, where artisanal gold mining has given rise to informal economies that frequently operate beyond government oversight. These parallel systems can facilitate smuggling, tax evasion, and the movement of armed actors across porous borders.

Fayemi highlighted that Nigeria is also confronting growing challenges linked to illegal mining. In parts of the northwest, unregulated gold mining has been tied to banditry and the financing of armed groups, while disputes over land and mineral access have triggered communal conflicts elsewhere.

“Where governance is weak, the expansion of mining activity can intersect with insecurity in dangerous ways,” he warned.

To address these risks, Fayemi stressed the importance of integrating peacebuilding into mineral governance frameworks. This includes strengthening regulatory institutions, improving transparency in licensing systems, and formalizing artisanal mining activities rather than criminalizing them. He pointed to Nigeria’s Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative as an example—a program designed to integrate small-scale miners into formal supply chains while enhancing oversight and revenue collection.

Fayemi emphasized that secure mineral supply chains cannot be built on fragile communities or weak institutions. “The success of the global energy transition will depend not only on the availability of minerals but on the stability of the regions that produce them,” he said. “A just transition must invest as much in governance and community resilience as it does in technology.”

Extensive research reinforces this view, showing that weak mineral governance across the continent poses a direct threat to regional security by fostering corruption, fueling armed conflicts, and deepening economic instability.

Corruption in licensing and revenue leakage erodes state capacity and undermines public institutions. Meanwhile, illicit mining sustains shadow economies that intensify resource disputes, empower militant groups, and contribute to environmental degradation and political instability.