Africa retains less than 10 per cent of its exports from 15 critical inexperienced mineral value chains on the continent, regardless of having the capability to produce about $7.8bn value of imports via aggressive native producers, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has mentioned.
The fee mentioned the scenario highlights the necessity for African nations to maneuver past exporting uncooked minerals and strengthen regional processing, manufacturing and industrial value chains.
The figures had been offered on the Africa’s Green Minerals Workshops organised by the ECA in partnership with the Open Society Foundations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from November 2 to 4, 2026.
The three-day workshop introduced collectively authorities officers, specialists, researchers, civil society organisations and private-sector representatives to look at how Africa might maximise its mineral sources to help industrialisation and sustainable growth.
According to an ECA-commissioned examine by Growth Teams, regional value chains might initially be developed round copper, aluminium, iron and metal, and phosphate, with copper recognized as a place to begin.
The fee mentioned contributors agreed to maneuver from coverage discussions to investment-ready initiatives via a coalition of keen nations and private-sector companions.
“Africa holds a significant share of the minerals the green transition depends on, yet too little of the value stays on the continent,” Marit Kitaw, an Economic Affairs Officer at ECA, mentioned.
She mentioned the workshops offered proof, improved mineral information and sensible coverage steerage to assist translate regional value-chain ambitions into implementation.
The workshops additionally examined preliminary findings of ECA’s mapping of inexperienced minerals throughout nations in 4 regional financial communities: the Southern African Development Community, ECOWAS, the East African Community and the Economic Community of Central African States.
The preliminary dataset recognized 1,888 important mineral deposits, topic to validation, whereas a proposed on-line platform is anticipated to convey collectively geological, licensing, infrastructure, environmental and coverage info.
Participants additionally referred to as for stronger funding of nationwide geological surveys, frequent requirements for mineral information and better African possession of geological info.
The fee mentioned African nations would achieve extra by negotiating collectively slightly than competing towards each other, whereas making certain that girls, younger folks, artisanal miners and mining communities take part meaningfully and share in the advantages of mineral growth.
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