Evidence-Based Intervention in the African Mining Sector

Evidence-Based Intervention in the African Mining Sector

Dataphyte Foundation is proud to be a core implementation partner in the Just Energy Transition (JET) Minerals initiative, the flagship project of the Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge for Development. In partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), we deployed a multi-country, data-driven intervention to enhance transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in the governance of green minerals.

As global demand surges for critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements, which are key to powering the clean energy transition, the risks of corruption, opacity, and exploitation within the extractive industry have also grown. The JET Minerals initiative aims to counter these risks by supporting innovative, cross-cutting solutions that uphold ethical standards across the mineral value chain.

Our joint project targets four African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)-each with a significant footprint in green mineral extraction. Dataphyte’s core contribution centers on harnessing the power of data, civic technology, investigative journalism, and capacity building to promote transparency and citizen oversight.

Our Project Components Include:

• Data Collection and Aggregation: We identified and compiled vital information on green minerals, such as the location of mining sites, regulatory gaps, and production data, to uncover trends and risks within the sector.

• Dashboard Integration: We built a user-friendly data dashboard that visualizes key findings and trends from the project. The dashboard will be hosted on the Udeme social accountability platform to serve journalists, civil society, regulators, and the public.

• Capacity Building: Trained journalists, civic actors, and anti-corruption stakeholders across all four countries to use data for investigative reporting, advocacy, and institutional strengthening.

By equipping citizens and institutions with reliable data and investigative tools, this project seeks to amplify voices from the ground, promote responsible mining, and strengthen anti-corruption responses within the green minerals value chain.

JET Minerals is more than a project. It is a global commitment to ensuring that the clean energy transition is not undermined by corruption but rather anchored in integrity, transparency, and accountability.