Addressing the challenges facing developing countries in the mining sector: moving towards sustainability

The sustainability of the mining sector over long term relies on a range of factors that must be carefully evaluated. To address this, Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques have been utilized for their flexibility in offering supplementary tools. In this context, we assess the condition of the mining sector in Africa by examining key fundamental challenges it faces. Based on the literature review and opinions of experts, eleven challenges in the mining sector are identified. This study applies the FullEX approach to accommodate group decision-making process. Experts’ Years of Experience (YE) and educational backgrounds are utilized to determine the importance of coefficients of criteria in the group decision-making process. The findings highlight mineral depletion resulting from over-exploitation, a scarcity of skilled labor, inconsistent power supply, inadequate infrastructure, and political problems as the most significant challenges confronting the mining sector. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate the robustness of our approach. The insights gained from this study carry extensive implications for policymakers to devise appropriate strategies for overcoming the challenges facing the mining sector.