African ministers and development partners gathered in Abidjan on Friday, 10 July 2026 for the Ministerial Forum on Critical Minerals, Value Chains and Beneficiation. The meeting, organised by the African Development Bank Group, brought together officials responsible for mines, energy, industry, natural resources and the green economy. Participants called for the continent's resources to drive industrialisation and job creation, specifically targeting opportunities for young people and women through value addition and beneficiation.
African Leaders Push for Value‑Chain Development
The continent holds about 30% of the world’s most critical mineral deposits, including cobalt, lithium, graphite, rare earths, platinum‑group metals, copper, manganese and nickel. Yet the bulk of these resources are still shipped abroad as raw or unprocessed minerals, leaving Africa with only a negligible share of the total economic value. Participants warned that this extraction model pushes job creation, industrial capacity and technological know‑how outside the continent. The forum included representatives from the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, alongside the private sector and technical partners.
"By bringing together African governments, investors, development financing institutions, technical and financial partners here in Abidjan, we have opened a new chapter in relations between Africa and the rest of the world regarding the exploitation and management of critical minerals," said Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank Group. The meeting also saw participation from Dr Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNECA; Mr Jeremy Wiggins, Deputy Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury; and Shuichi Hosoda, Deputy Vice Minister for International Affairs at the Japanese Ministry of Finance.
Key Priorities Highlighted at the Forum
Delegates stressed the need for a favourable environment for local processing of critical minerals. They called for investments in energy and transport infrastructure, better knowledge of geological resources, coherent public policies, a regulatory framework that encourages investment and stronger governance of natural resources. Dr. Ould Tah emphasised that Africa needs a paradigm shift to establish a new partnership that allows it to better manage resources and derive benefits for its populations. The forum highlighted that fragmentation caused by national‑level approaches weakens Africa’s bargaining power in global mining value chains. Regional cooperation was presented as essential to link mineral deposits with energy systems, transport corridors, ports, industrial zones, skills, financing and markets, creating integrated value chains that retain more benefits within the continent.
