DAR ES SALAAM: THE African Minerals Geoscience Centre (AMGC) is planning to establish a state-of-the-art small-to-medium-scale gold refinery, along with Coltan processing and smelting plants, to foster socioeconomic development in Tanzania and across AMGC member states.
In an exclusive interview over the weekend in Dar es Salaam, AMGC Director General Ibrahim Shaddad said that the centre is focusing on promoting collaboration with the private sector to enhance public-private partnerships (PPP) within its mandate.
“This initiative is part of efforts to ensure the sustainability of AMGC, reducing its heavy dependence on contributions from member states. Ultimately, this will pave the way for more African countries to join AMGC, further boosting value addition in Africa’s extractive industry,” Mr Shaddad explained.
He added that the two proposed income-generating projects were endorsed during the 37th Policy Organ Meeting of AMGC, which was chaired by Tanzania. The projects will be implemented by a separate commercial entity that complies with Tanzania’s investment laws and regulations.
This shift in strategy stems from the 27th meeting of the AMGC Governing Council in Maputo, Mozambique, where the centre was directed to collaborate more closely with the private sector to drive growth in Africa’s mining sector, reduce unemployment and generate income for member countries.
Mr Shaddad also highlighted that AMGC is actively pursuing joint ventures to introduce high-tech facilities, enhancing its Pan-African capacity and services and creating significant income to enable the centre to become self-sufficient and less reliant on member state funding.
AMGC, which was established in 1977 in Dodoma, Tanzania, as the Eastern and Southern African Mineral Resources Development Centre (ESAMRDC), later changed its name to the Southern and Eastern African Mineral Centre (SEAMIC).
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“I have personally approached several African countries to join AMGC. Currently, we have Ethiopia, Tanzania (the host country), Kenya, Mozambique, Comoros, Uganda, Sudan and Angola. We are working to invite more countries to join AMGC and raise awareness of the mining sector’s potential to drive socioeconomic development across the continent,” he noted.
In 1991, AMGC moved its operations to a new site in Dar es Salaam, with a mission to promote the responsible development of the mining sector in Africa, addressing new demands in the industry.
Mr Shaddad, a Sudanese diplomat and renowned geologist, also highlighted his achievements since joining AMGC in 2015. Under his leadership, AMGC has become a well-recognised continental institute, improved its analytical infrastructure, increased staff salaries and transformed its image to reflect Pan-Africanism.
“Under my management, AMGC has provided free training opportunities for 336 young Tanzanians, with 86 of them securing internships after graduating from various universities and higher learning institutions in Tanzania,” Mr Shaddad said.
Additionally, efforts are underway to rehabilitate ceramic working equipment in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Dar es Salaam, aiming to enhance AMGC’s capabilities for the benefit of Tanzania and the continent.
Formerly known as the Southern and Eastern African Mineral Centre (SEAMIC), AMGC was established in 1977 through the efforts of Tanzania’s Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Ethiopia’s Haile Selassie, both strong advocates of African liberation.
Originally focused on regional geological surveys and providing mineral exploration services for its founding countries—Ethiopia, Mozambique and Tanzania—AMGC later expanded its membership.
Uganda, Angola and the Comoros joined, followed by Kenya in 2006 and Sudan in 2010. In 2007, a ministerial meeting in Maputo opened membership to all African states, prompting the name change to AMGC in July 2015.
In 1991, the centre moved to its new site in Dar es Salaam with a mission to promote the responsible development of Africa’s mining sector. AMGC has since diversified its services, including modern minerals analytical laboratory services, geo-information data processing and specialised short-term training programmes to meet the evolving demands of the mineral sector.
