Rafsanjani Named CAPPA Board Chair, as Group Warns Against Reckless Mining Rush
In an era where Africa’s natural wealth continues to fuel global interests, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has sounded a strong warning against Nigeria’s reckless pursuit of solid minerals, cautioning that the country may be heading towards another Niger Delta-style crisis.
This came as the organisation announced renowned civil rights advocate, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, as the new Chairman of its Advisory Board.
Rafsanjani, who also heads the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International in Nigeria, brings over three decades of experience in anti-corruption reform, extractive transparency, and human rights advocacy across West Africa.
CAPPA described his emergence as a “renewed mandate” to defend public resources, democratic rights, and environmental justice across the continent.
Following his election, Rafsanjani pledged to strengthen CAPPA’s watchdog role in protecting the public good, with focus areas including public health, extractive justice, and defence of civic space.
Meanwhile, the Board cautioned that Nigeria’s growing mining drive, fuelled by the global demand for lithium and other so-called “green minerals” is already breeding land grabs, displacement, and environmental degradation.
It warned that unless strong regulations and community consent frameworks are enforced, Nigeria risks replacing “one resource curse with another.”
Reaffirming its commitment to inclusive advocacy, CAPPA vowed to deepen alliances with labour unions, women’s groups, youth movements, and community defenders across Africa to ensure a just and people-centred transition.
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