According to Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Ghana’s Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Africa must act collectively to fully harness the global demand for its vast resources.

"If we don’t unite economically, the continent will perish," he warned. "We must address the issue of value addition together so that resources extracted across Africa not only benefit others while we remain in poverty." He highlighted the continent’s significant potential, pointing to its population of 1.5 billion and its mineral reserves as a foundation for building a resilient, self-sustaining market.

Dr. Kenneth Zikhale Ng'oma, Minister of Mines of Malawi, echoed this concern, emphasizing that the spirit of cooperation once championed by African leaders has diminished. "We are too focused on individual national interests. We need to reflect on the mistakes of the past and correct them," he stated.

Beyond regional trade, Wilmot J. Paye, Minister of Mines and Energy of the Republic of Liberia, stressed the importance of a regional approach in addressing the issue of illegal mining.

"If Ghana succeeds in tackling illicit operations, these activities will simply move to neighboring countries. We must work together to regulate the industry across borders," he said. He also noted that internal competition between African nations is weakening their collective bargaining power on the global stage.

Echoing these remarks, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Ghana’s Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, underscored the shared challenges facing African nations, particularly the need to minimize environmental degradation while developing the resource sectors. Illegal mining present challenges beyond the economy, causing harm to the environment through deforestation. 

“To come up with the best solutions, we need to come together to address how best we can enhance development,” Dr. Muhammed stated. He added that economic progress must go hand-in-hand with environmental responsibility, stating that “No matter how much money we can make, if there is no environmental sustainability, the revenue means nothing for our people.”

Colonel Ousmane Abarchi, Minister of Mines of Niger, added that the Mining in Motion summit marked a milestone for West Africa. "Mining in Motion is the first of its kind for our region. Until now, most of our engagements have taken place in far-off places like Saudi Arabia or South Africa. Ghana, with its experience in gold mining, can lead the way for West Africa."

Abdiwahab Abdi Omar, Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum of Somalia, urged immediate action. "We must stop saying we plan to come together. Let us begin here, in Ghana, with this event, and use it as a platform to unite and address our geopolitical tensions."