Equity in Extraction- High-Level West Africa Conference: Addressing Inequalities in Natural Resource Governance and Climate Change in West Africa
Background and themes:
West Africa’s vast reserves of critical minerals—essential for renewable energy technologies—present both an opportunity and a challenge. While global demand for lithium, cobalt, and nickel is set to skyrocket, extraction often deepens inequalities, displaces communities, and accelerates climate vulnerabilities. This conference seeks rigorous research and policy insights on how to transform mineral governance in the region: Can resource wealth drive equitable development, or will it reinforce cycles of exploitation? We invite submissions that address this urgent nexus, offering pathways toward just transitions, sustainable livelihoods, and climate-resilient economies.
- Critical Mineral Extraction and Structural Inequality in West Africa: ”Examining the relationship between critical mineral governance systems and socioeconomic disparities, land access changes, and the distribution of economic benefits in West African communities.”
- National Policy Frameworks and Mineral Revenue Management: “Assessing domestic fiscal regimes, state participation models, and regional cooperation mechanisms in critical mineral sectors across West African states.”
- Climate Change Impacts and Mineral-Dependent Energy Transitions: ”Analyzing the environmental consequences of mineral extraction for renewable technologies and their effects on local ecosystems and traditional livelihoods in the region.”
- Resource Governance Systems and Alternative Economic Models: “Investigating formal and informal governance structures for mineral resources and their implications for local value retention and
economic diversification possibilities.”
Format and Delivery
Potential contributors are expected to send their abstracts (max 500 words) by July 17, 2025. Upon selection of their the abstract, draft papers are expected by September 30 .
Remuneration
Travel and lodging expenses to attend the conference will be covered.
Submission
Please send submission to [email protected]; [email protected] With the subject tle .’High-Level West Africa Conference: Addressing Inequalies in Natural Resource Governance and Climate Change in West Africa’
Download the concept note here