Queen Mthembu Bags Top Pan-African Mining Award as ABER Hails Her Leadership
By Joyce Sunny, FOREIGN DESK – The Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER) has celebrated HRH Queen Nosipho Mthembu for her outstanding contributions to Africa’s mining sector and sustainable development following her emergence as the recipient of the Outstanding Pan-African Mining Sector Leader and Visionary Award, the highest honour at the Africa Mining Convention Awards (AMCA) in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
The Convener and Founder of ABER, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, congratulated Queen Mthembu, who serves as Deputy Chairperson of the ABER Women’s Forum and Director of Blue Sovereignty and Traditional Ocean Governance, describing the recognition as a testament to her visionary leadership, ingenuity and commitment to advancing Africa’s blue economy.
The congratulatory message was conveyed in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by ABER’s Director of Communication and Public Affairs, Hajiya Medina Dauda Nadabo.
According to Kiyaramo, Queen Mthembu’s achievement reflects the growing importance of integrated approaches to mining, ocean governance and community development in unlocking Africa’s economic potential.
JURY RECOGNISES PAN-AFRICAN LEADERSHIP
In its citation, the AMCA Jury praised Queen Mthembu for building bridges between the mining and maritime sectors, connecting policy with communities, and promoting the transformation of Africa’s natural resources into sustainable prosperity.
The jury particularly recognised her advocacy for mineral beneficiation rather than raw extraction, inclusive participation rather than exclusion, and community prosperity rather than enclave development.
It also highlighted her leadership within the ABER Women’s Forum and her pioneering concepts of the Africa Blue Ocean Economy Institute (ABOEI) and the Pan-African Coastal Community College (PACC).
According to the jury, these initiatives provide practical pathways for advancing the African Union’s Africa Mining Vision while empowering women and young people in mining and coastal communities across the continent.
The citation further noted that her work promotes the principles of Ubuntu in mining leadership and contributes to strengthening community-centred development, culminating in her induction into the Pan-African Mining Leaders Hall of Fame.
ABER REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The Africa Blue Economy Roundtable is a pan-African, multi-stakeholder platform established to accelerate the implementation of key continental and global development frameworks, including the African Union’s Africa Blue Economy Strategy, the Africa Mining Vision, Agenda 2063, the Lomé Charter on Maritime Security and Safety, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 14 on Life Below Water.
Its mandate encompasses policy advocacy and institutional alignment, inclusive economic growth, capacity building and research, as well as investment facilitation and community prosperity.
Through the ABER Women’s Forum and Youth in Blue Economy Initiative, the organisation promotes greater access to leadership, ownership, finance and markets for women and young people, particularly in coastal and mining communities.
Its capacity-building and innovation programmes also focus on ocean governance, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, green shipping, mineral beneficiation and the preservation of traditional ocean knowledge systems.
Under its REMAP AFRICA doctrine, ABER advocates a shift from exporting raw minerals to developing local industries that process resources into finished products, guided by the principle, “From Pit to Port, From Mine to Market.”
Kiyaramo said Queen Mthembu’s induction into the Pan-African Mining Leaders Hall of Fame reinforces the relevance of ABER’s integrated development model, which seeks to connect natural resource governance with industrialisation, environmental sustainability and improved community livelihoods.
In her acceptance remarks, Queen Mthembu dedicated the honour to women working in mining and coastal communities across Africa, as well as the people of Zimbabwe for hosting the historic recognition.
The award adds to ongoing efforts to promote inclusive leadership, responsible resource management and stronger economic linkages between Africa’s mining and blue economy sectors.
