Justina Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), has urged stronger collaboration, smarter regulation and catalytic African capital to unlock bankable and sustainable mining projects across the continent.
Nelson made the call on Monday, February 10, 2026, at the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba 2026 taking place from February 9 to 12, 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa.
The MIIF CEO emphasized that Africa requires coordinated approaches to attract investment and develop projects that deliver long term economic and environmental benefits to communities across the continent.
According to industry observers, Nelson’s remarks align with broader efforts by African mining institutions to position the continent as a competitive destination for responsible mining investment amid growing global demand for critical minerals.
The Investing in Africa Mining Indaba 2026 is taking place under the theme “Stronger together: Progress through partnerships” and has attracted government officials, mining executives, investors and development finance institutions from across Africa and the world.
The conference has become the world’s largest mining investment event focused on Africa, providing a platform for deal making, policy discussions and technical presentations on the continent’s extractive industries.
Nelson assumed office as MIIF CEO in January 2025 and has focused on institutional reforms, improved governance structures and enhanced compliance frameworks to position the fund as a world class sovereign wealth fund.
Under her leadership, MIIF has reported significant improvements in Ghana’s mineral royalty inflows for 2025, with large scale gold mining generating 291.87 million dollars in royalties by September 2025, representing a 40.18 percent increase from 208.20 million dollars recorded during the same period in 2024.
Mid tier gold operations recorded royalties of 59.44 million Ghana cedis between January and September 2025, up 46.38 percent from 40.61 million cedis over the same period in 2024.
The manganese sector posted a 170 percent surge in royalty inflows, rising from 4.72 million dollars in 2024 to 12.75 million dollars in 2025, driven by improved production and stronger compliance by operators.
The quarry industry recorded a 13.12 percent increase in royalties from 11.62 million cedis to 13.15 million cedis, while the sand mining sub sector saw a 21.48 percent rise.
MIIF was established by Parliamentary Act 978 in 2018 to manage equity interests and mineral royalties accruing to Ghana from mining operations and to secure value for present and future generations.
The fund has been implementing environmental, social and governance policy frameworks built on seven core performance standards including labour practices, pollution prevention, biodiversity conservation, indigenous rights and cultural heritage.
Nelson has previously emphasized that every MIIF investment is subject to environmental, social and governance risk assessments and ratings to ensure sustainable impact, with all investee companies required to submit comprehensive management plans monitored throughout the investment lifecycle.
The Mining Indaba 2026 features sessions on critical minerals, downstream value addition, just energy transition, infrastructure development, investment frameworks and regulatory reforms across African mining jurisdictions.
Ghana is among several African countries participating in the conference to showcase investment opportunities and engage with potential partners on mining sector development.
The conference coincides with renewed focus on Africa’s mineral resources amid global efforts to secure supply chains for battery metals, rare earth elements and other materials critical to clean energy transitions.
