The African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth has moved to incorporate an investment company, which will focus on identifying and growing mining assets across the continent of Africa for the Federation and its members."This crucial decision was inspired by the fact that Africa is blessed with enormous natural resources but regrettably the poor­est continent," a statement issued after its second Executive Board meeting in Lusaka, Zambia said.The six-point declaration adopted at the Lusaka meeting was signed by AFMMW President, Joseph Chewe and AFMMW Sec­retary General, Mohamed Ahmed Abdelhalim Ibrahim.The African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth, a Fed­eration made up of giant mining trade unions across the continent of Africa including the Ghana Mineworkers' Union.The statement sated that Africans need to derive maximum benefit from their rich mineral resources."With this bold step, the Feder­ation hopes to lead the crusade towards changing this longstand­ing narrative by transforming Africa and its people through the use of its natural resources," the statement said.The statement said the meet­ing, also resolved to aggressively embark on membership recruit­ment drive to unite all mining unions in Africa under the Federa­tion to become a formidable force that would squarely represent, advocate, protect, and promote the rights of mineworkers and trade unions across Africa.This, the statement said the Federation commit to do, by working with member-unions to eliminate precarity in the world of work, promote occupational health and safety and promote decent work both at the country level and across the entire continent of Africa.It said the Federation also recognised that the African Mining Vision aligned with its aims and objects."To help achieve the African Mining Vision which is expected to be a catalyst for Africa's indus­trialisation and transformation therefore, the Federation commits to forge strong sustained part­nerships and work collaboratively with African Governments and Regional Bodies such as the Africa Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Economic Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States ( ECCAS), Com­munity of Sahel-Saharan States ( CEN-SAD), and Arab Maghrab Union (UMA), among theirs to ensure the full realisation of the benefits of the mineral wealth of Africa for the African people," it said.Furthermore, to sustain its vi­sion, the Federation also resolved to continuously strengthen the capacities and deepen solidarity among Member Unions of the Federation, through initiatives such as exchange programmes, as well as, training and education.The next Executive Board meeting of the Federation is expected to be hosted by the Ghana Mineworkers' Union in Accra-Ghana BY TIMES REPORTER