African Union Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, Francisca Tatchououp Belobe, has urged African countries to prioritise value addition and industrialisation to maximise the economic benefits of the continent’s mineral resources.
Speaking at the Mining in Motion Conference on Monday, October 19, Ms Belobe called on African countries to take greater control of their mineral development agendas and ensure that resource exploitation promotes inclusive economic growth.
“Africa must strengthen its agency to define its mineral development agenda. It must define its priorities at a time when major economies are developing critical mineral structures based on their industrial needs. Africa must not only own its mineral resources; it must also own its narrative around these minerals,” she said.
In addition, Ms Belobe revealed that the importance of the African Union’s Green Minerals Strategy places African industrialisation, energy security and regional value chains at the centre of efforts to harness the continent’s mineral wealth for sustainable economic development.
