Mining & Energy

A carbon monoxide leak in Nigeria, an explosion in Plateau State killing over 30, and a mud rush trapping five miners in South Africa have reignited calls for stricter enforcement of mining safety protocols across the continent.

Nigeria's Solid Minerals Minister ordered immediate closure of an abandoned lead mining site in Plateau State after toxic gas emissions killed 37 miners and hospitalized 25 others, prompting forensic investigation into safety failures.

South Africa's Rand Refinery is positioning for majority ownership of Ghana's Gold Coast Refinery, while Nigeria's solid minerals minister has sealed a Plateau State mine following an explosion that reportedly killed at least 37 miners.

Unemployed residents in Springs, east of Johannesburg, have descended on scarred mining land in a desperate bid for economic survival, reviving the informal gold extraction that has long haunted South Africa's mineral-rich communities.

The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union has formally submitted demands for a $650 minimum wage in 2026, arguing that workers have not benefited from soaring global mineral prices that have boosted mining company revenues.

Africa's untapped gold reserves valued at $1 trillion could provide economic stabilization against currency volatility, while Washington intensifies efforts to establish transparent mineral supply chains that eliminate conflict sourcing and generate sustainable employment across the continent.

Residents of Amankwo in Agbada Inyi Autonomous Community have launched protests following alleged river contamination by a coal mining company, resulting in mass death of aquatic life and threatening the community's primary water source.

Zimbabwe has unveiled Zimbabwe Mining Week as part of a strategic shift from price-taker to price-setter in lithium, gold, platinum, and chrome markets, leveraging the Victoria Falls Exchange to establish local pricing benchmarks.

A rescue operation is underway at Ekapa Mine in South Africa after five miners became trapped underground with no communication to the surface, marking the latest in a series of safety incidents that continue to plague the country's mining sector.

As lab-grown diamonds flood markets and prices tumble, the natural diamond industry abandons geology for sociology, selling nation-building narratives over carats in a desperate bid to preserve value.

A pit collapse in Ebonyi State killed three miners and injured four, while illegal miners in Zimbabwe confronted a legislator over unresolved grievances, exposing systemic safety and labour management failures across African mining operations.

Zimbabwe will commission Africa's first lithium sulphate processing plant within a month, while state-owned Mutapa Gold Resources plans US$150 million investment to more than double production to 250,000 ounces annually.