“Successful sub-regional mineral centre goes continental”

12 June 2007

The Southern and Eastern Africa Mineral Centre (SEAMIC), an intergovernmental mineral services provider, established in 1977, under the umbrella of the ECA, has decided to open its membership to all African States.

The decision, which was taken on 31 May during the 27 th session of the Centre's Governing Council in Maputo (Mozambique), aims to expand SEAMIC's services to the mining community across the continent. It will also help in improving the Centre's viability by increasing the pool of countries from which it can mobilize support.

The ministers responsible for mineral resources development, and other senior officials, of Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda, attended the 27th Governing Council. The Prime Minister of Mozambique presided over the event.

SEAMIC provides geo-information data processing, training and analytical services as well as research on mineral applications to its member States, and private companies operating in the region.

In its 30-year existence, the Centre has made a significant contribution towards raising awareness of the role and potential of the mineral sector in the economic and social development of Eastern and Southern Africa.

It has also facilitated access of its member States to sophisticated and modern mineral services in a cost effective manner. This is particularly true for chemical, gemmological and, more recently, environmental analysis.

An ECA study on the rationalization of its subsidiary bodies and sponsored institutions, conducted in the 1990s, identified SEAMIC as one of the few ECA-sponsored institutions that have managed to remain active and vibrant throughout their existence. The fact that SEAMIC attained the ISO 9001/2000 certification of quality in September 2006 is clear proof of its good work and relevance.

The decision to expand SEAMIC's membership will be of great interest to West and North African countries as plans to set up minerals centres in these sub regions have not yet materialized. Although Central Africa managed to establish a mineral centre in 1983, it was destroyed by the conflict in Congo-Brazzaville in the 1990s and has remained ineffective since then.