It is a truth widely acknowledged that Africa is one of the wealthiest continents in natural and mineral resources.

Yet, Africa also remains the poorest continent from an economic standpoint.

Therefore, the question that perpetually begs an answer is: why has Africa's mineral wealth not been translated into economic benefits for Africa's people?

There are as many answers to this question as there are analysts, but there is little doubt that African states will continue to be economically, politically and scientifically marginalised unless they fully understand how to manage and control their mineral resources.

Africa will not succeed in ensuring that its mineral resources primarily benefit its people unless it develops and acquires the expertise and the capacity to perform various and diverse tasks in the mining sector, including prospecting, extracting and negotiating trade deals.

Mining engineers are paid handsomely worldwide and if Africa wants to attract the best brains in the field it must be willing to compensate them competitively.

Australia, for example, has been successful in attracting mining experts trained in different parts of the world by offering very good work conditions and terms of service.

Of course, in the long term, African states must train their own people in all areas of mining and resource management if they hope to be able to act independently in pursuit of their national interests.

Poverty in scienceIn the end, it is largely because of Africa's poverty in science, technology, innovation and other forms of knowledge that its resources end up benefiting non-Africans more than Africans.

In the meantime, European, North American and Asian countries continue to exploit African resources.

One of the countries that benefits from Africa's mineral resources is Australia, which has begun to show increased political and economic interest in the continent.

Australia's mining giants such as BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto already have a large footprint in Africa's mining sector.

Some of Africa's successful resource companies, such as Angola's Roc Oil, Egypt's Centamin, and Namibia's Paladin Energy, have also been listed on the Australian stock exchange and have established their headquarters in Perth.

It is against this background that Australia has convened an international conference in Perth on "Africa Down-Under" this week.

The conference organisers have noted that Africa continues to attract a large share of global exploration funds as prospectors zoom in on its mineral riches.

They also recognise that some African countries which were previously considered "no-go" zones, have attracted a new wave of international investors, explorers and miners keen to make their fortunes.

Some of these fortune-seekers include Chinese government corporations, such as Jinchuan, which recently bought a titanium project in Kenya.

The Perth conference, which is the seventh in a series the organisers dub the "Australian mining Indaba", has drawn a wide range of participants, from African mines ministers, business leaders, and corporate executives from the mining sector.

The ministers from Africa are drawn from Eritrea, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia. There are also senior mining officials from Namibia, Uganda and several other countries.