Masvingo Correspondent
As global powers vie for control over critical mineral supply chains, African nations are being urged to harness their vast resources to secure economic sovereignty and drive industrialization.
This call dominated a high-level webinar hosted on Tuesday by the Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG), where experts emphasized that Africa’s cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements—keys to the green energy transition—must catalyze sustainable development rather than perpetuate raw material dependency.
Under the theme “Navigating Geopolitics and Market Shifts in Africa’s Critical Minerals Sector,” policymakers, investors, and mining leaders debated strategies to transform Africa’s mineral wealth into long-term prosperity. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which supplies over 70% of the world’s cobalt, emerged as a focal point, with panelists stressing the urgency of local processing and equitable global partnerships.
“Africa’s mineral resources are a geopolitical linchpin. The continent must build resilient, value-added industries to withstand external pressures and capitalize on this boom,” declared Dr. Theo Acheampong, CMAG’s Head of Markets and Research, who chaired the session.
He warned that without proactive reforms, African nations risk losing out on the lucrative downstream opportunities tied to batteries, renewables, and advanced technologies.
The webinar featured insights from John R. Sloan, an economist at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, who highlighted Africa’s stronger positioning compared to past commodity cycles.
“The Africa Mining Vision and the Green Minerals Strategy provide a blueprint for sustainable growth, regional integration, and capturing value beyond extraction,”
Sloan stated, advocating for policies that prioritize local beneficiation and industrial linkages.
Christopher Vandome, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, and Dinah McLeod, Director General of the Cobalt Institute, underscored the need for transparency and capacity-building.
“African governments must assert greater control over pricing, processing, and technology transfer to avoid being locked into outdated roles as raw material suppliers,” Vandome argued. McLeod added,
“Global partnerships should prioritize skills development and infrastructure to ensure African communities benefit from their own resources.”
The discussions come amid tightening export controls by major economies like the U.S. and China, aimed at securing their critical mineral supply chains. While this competition creates opportunities for African producers, panelists cautioned that reliance on exporting unprocessed minerals—such as the DRC’s cobalt, which is shipped raw to foreign battery manufacturers—leaves economies vulnerable to market volatility and geopolitical maneuvering.
CMAG announced plans to intensify advocacy for Africa’s strategic interests in global forums, framing the continent as an indispensable player in the energy transition.
“Africa’s voice in critical mineral dialogues is no longer optional—it is essential,” Dr. Acheampong concluded.
“The time for passive extraction is over. This is the moment to demand fairness, invest in processing, and reshape supply chains on our terms.”
The webinar signals growing momentum among African leaders and institutions to leverage mineral wealth as a tool for geopolitical influence and inclusive development, setting the stage for heightened debates over resource sovereignty in the race to decarbonize the global economy.
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