Mineral-rich-post-independent African countries rely on their extractive industries for economic growth and development. The extraction of these resources generates more curses than blessings--raising questions as to whether the sector provides an appropriate vehicle for economic growth. To balance this gap, regional policy makers and international counterparts have engaged in large-scale reforms of the mining sector. This has led to the establishment of spaces of exclusion and further marginalization as new actors introduced into the sector interact one with the other to pursue and protect their interests.