Africa’s political leaders have declared a desire to stop being mere suppliers of raw materials and begin adding value to their critical mineral wealth. At a recent OECD High-Level Dialogue on Africa in Paris, government representatives from Ghana and Nigeria called for more investment in local processing and spoke of domestic lithium processing. Morocco also unveiled an “OTC Corridor” (Origin, Transit, and Certification) strategy in a bid to become a hub for mineral validation and transport. Africa has some of the world’s richest mineral deposits, but its role in the global value chain is largely extractive. Obert Bore, Critical Minerals Editor at The China–Global South Project, notes that the declarations made at the High-Level Dialogue fail to mention China, which is the world’s leader in critical minerals processing. “If the continent is serious about capturing more value, it must stop pretending that China isn’t decades ahead,” says Bore. Instead, Africa should focus on regional hubs in mineral-rich corridors, harmonising regulations, and investing in shared facilities and infrastructure could create the scale and stability needed to make value addition viable.
