Presidential Advisor Goosie Tanoh has urged African countries to leverage the increasing global demand for critical minerals by developing local industries. This approach aims to create decent jobs and strengthen peace across the continent. Tanoh stated that Africa's mineral future must involve value addition, not just the export of raw materials.
This call was made during a high-level conference in Accra, organized by the Open Society Foundations. The event focused on the governance of critical minerals and conflict in Africa. Tanoh emphasized that critical minerals are not merely geological issues but raise fundamental questions about governance, development, and political choices. He questioned who benefits and who bears the environmental costs of mineral extraction.
Africa possesses a significant share of the world's critical mineral reserves, including lithium, graphite, cobalt, and nickel. These minerals are vital for modern technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and advanced manufacturing. Despite this advantage, Africa has not yet secured dominant positions in global mineral value chains. The continent often exports raw materials while importing finished products made from those same resources.
Mr. Tanoh highlighted that in 2025, the leading refining country controlled an average of about 72 percent of the market across key energy minerals. China, for instance, produced more than 80 percent of the world's lithium-ion phosphate cathode materials. Africa, conversely, exports bauxite and imports aluminum products, and exports copper while importing wires and cables. This pattern underscores the need for a strategic shift towards beneficiation and value addition.
The growing global transition to cleaner energy offers Africa a unique opportunity to become a major industrial player. However, this can only happen if the continent moves beyond simply extracting raw materials. Tanoh stressed that this structural challenge requires deliberate policies, regional cooperation, and significant investments in processing, technology, and skills. The 21st century must focus on producing alloys, battery-grade chemicals, and manufactured products, not just exporting raw ore.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is considered essential for driving Africa's industrial ambitions. Tanoh argued that no single African country can build complete mineral value chains alone. Regional integration through AfCFTA will enable the continent to collectively harness its mineral wealth for industrial transformation. This collaborative effort is crucial for Africa to seize the industrial opportunity presented by critical minerals, similar to how China has developed its own industries.
The conference brought together government officials, civil society organizations, researchers, mining communities, development partners, and private sector representatives. Their diverse participation underscored the complex nature of critical mineral governance. The discussions aimed to find ways for Africa to use its resources to build its own industries, create decent jobs, and strengthen peace, rather than remaining a bystander in the systematic depletion of its finite resources for the benefit of other economies.