ABSTRACT
The notion of mineral resource governance is a new concept that seeks to explain why mineral wealth countries, especially those in South Saharan Africa are unable to manage their resources to promote human development. This chapter discusses the main theories of natural resource management, and conceptualises mineral governance, explaining some of the key elements of governance, such as transparency, accountability, participation and equity. These key elements of governance cover the mining chronology, namely licensing, exploration, contracting and extraction, as well as mineral revenue generation and allocation.
