Latest news with #OusmaneAbarchi
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Mining in Motion 2025: Niger Eyes Economic Development Fund
Colonel Ousmane Abarchi, Minister of Mines of Niger, announced plans to establish a national economic development fund during the Mining in Motion 2025 summit – held in Accra. The fund aims to redirect revenues from the mining sector to strengthen other industries while tackling illicit mining. 'We seek to develop an economic development fund so that revenues from mining bolster other industries. We are also seeking community development, as illicit mining damages the environment. By addressing illegal mining, we are ensuring the purification of water bodies,' Minister Arbachi stated. Minister Arbachi emphasized that addressing the widespread challenges of illegal mining across the continent must begin with the inclusion of local communities in decision-making and direct benefits. The proposed fund would aim to reinvest mining profits into local companies – supporting sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure and education – to create alternatives to illegal mining and enhance long-term development. The initiative aligns with the broader themes of the Mining in Motion summit, which focuses on sustainable resource governance, responsible mining practices and cross-border collaboration. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
Qatar Tribune
03-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Global energy leaders convene in Istanbul for strategic natural resources summit
Agencies Istanbul hosted a major natural resources summit on Friday, which brought together senior energy and mining officials from around the world and witnessed signing of several strategic agreements. Orgnized by Türkiye's leading media group and Daily Sabah's parent company, Turkuvaz Media, the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit (INRES 2025) focused on international cooperation in critical minerals, hydrocarbons, and long-term resource security amid the global energy transition. Over the past decade, Türkiye has significantly diversified its energy resources, mainly aimed at reducing its heavy external dependence while helping it develop its domestic capabilities. The establishment of a deep-sea drilling fleet in 2017 has positioned Türkiye as a rising player in hydrocarbon exploration and energy diplomacy, with partnerships now extending from Azerbaijan and Somalia to Hungary, Niger, Iraq, Morocco and the United States. INRES 2025, held under the auspices of Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, serves as a forum for forging new energy alliances. Türkiye has already signed gas export agreements with several European countries, including Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Moldova, reinforcing its role as a critical supplier to the continent. A prior agreement with Romania, enabling the daily delivery of up to 4 million cubic meters of gas, expired in March 2025. Earlier this week, Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) signed an agreement with Hungary's MOL Group for oil and gas exploration in two Hungarian regions, signaling deeper bilateral cooperation in upstream energy and deputy ministers from at least 14 countries attending the INRES 2025 represented a wide geographical spectrum. Among the delegations were Libya's Minister of Industry and Minerals Ahmed Abu-Heisa, Niger's Minister of Mines Ousmane Abarchi, Somalia's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Mudaifer, Hungary's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Boglarka Illes, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Hayan Abdul Ghani Alsawad. Also attending were Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, Bulgaria's Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov, Moldova's Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu, Romania's Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja and Syria's Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir. The summit's first session, titled 'Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition,' was moderated by Taha Meli Arvas, CEO of Turkish energy bourse Energy Exchange Istanbul (EPIAŞ). Panelists included Yalçın Aydın, CEO of Eti Maden mining company, Mehmet Yılmaz, chair of the Turkish Mining Association, Hasan Yücel, chairperson of TÜMAD Mining, Peter Handley, strategic adviser at HCSS, and Duygu Yılmaz, group leader and researcher at Norway's Institute for Energy Technology. Discussions centered on global demand forecasts, critical minerals, emerging technologies and supply chain emphasized Türkiye's openness to partnerships in critical minerals, including rare earth element investments in Africa. 'We are open to all kinds of cooperation. We are open to collaboration with both local and foreign companies,' he noted. Aydın also highlighted that investment opportunities related to rare earth elements in Africa are being evaluated. He recalled that Eti Maden is working to diversify its product range beyond boron and has established a pilot plant for the production of rare earth elements. 'Eti Maden is the world's boron leader. We have strong capabilities and highly competent people within our organization. We are not just selling boron products – we also have rare earth element reserves in Türkiye,' Aydın said. 'We are looking at investment opportunities globally, but especially in Africa.' Türkiye holds the world's largest boron reserves, and Eti Maden is the leading boron products manufacturer. In 2022, the company established a pilot plant in the rare earth element reserve area. According to its 2023 activity report, the company generated $1 billion in revenue from 1.8 million tons of boron products, securing a 60% share of the global market. Handley noted that Türkiye's operational capabilities make it an attractive partner for mutually beneficial ventures. 'If Türkiye wants to expand its footprint, it will find many countries to do business with. There are many countries that would like to work with Türkiye within a mutual gain model,' he noted. Yücel emphasized that Türkiye has significant potential regarding critical minerals and added that demand from Gulf nations for Turkish mineral resources has been steadily increasing. In the second session, moderated by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, the topic shifted to 'Mining in the Energy Transition: A Ministerial Dialogue on Resource Security.' Participants included ministers from Libya, Niger, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Hungary. Minister Abu-Heisa spoke of Libya's rich iron ore reserves and its commitment to technological collaboration. He also highlighted Libya's ambitious strategic plans and emphasized its massive mining potential. Minister Mohamed affirmed Somalia's plans to begin domestic resource extraction, emphasizing the government's long-term vision for natural resource development. 'Our government has a long-term plan regarding natural resources. Somalia will begin extracting its own natural resources as soon as possible,' he noted. On the sidelines of the INRES 2025, Bayraktar convened a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Iraq, Moldova, Niger, Syria and Libya, deepening energy diplomacy across multiple regions.
