TITLE:
Reinventing Africa’s Natural Resources Enterprises: Navigating Governance Challenges and Embracing Sustainable Development
AUTHORS:
Miyar Ezekiel De’Nyok
KEYWORDS:
Resource Curse, Political Settlement, Extractive Governance, Sustainable Transition, Ecological Modernization, Governance Challenges, Integrated Model of Sustainable Resources Transformation, Fiscal Governance Accountability
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Political Science,
Vol.16 No.3,
July
14,
2026
ABSTRACT: Africa’s vast natural resources present significant opportunities alongside ongoing challenges. Although the continent holds 30 - 50 percent of the world’s mineral reserves, hydrocarbons, forests, arable land, and renewable energy potential, many African nations still make limited progress in development. This research critically examines the governance structures that have influenced resource extraction and management since 2020, situating the discussion within broader debates on the resource curse, institutionalism, political settlements, sustainability transitions, and climate governance. Drawing on recent peer-reviewed research, it argues that Africa’s resource development depends not only on resource abundance but also on institutional strength, fiscal transparency, community participation, climate issues, and strategic industrial policies. The study reviews current evidence on extractive governance, illegal financial flows, artisanal mining formalization, renewable energy transitions, sovereign wealth funds, and regional integration within the African Union’s development strategies. It concludes that sustainable change requires integrating natural resource governance into a comprehensive model that promotes ecological resilience, intergenerational equity, regional cooperation, and economic diversification.