https://arab.news/9pcjb
Africa’s critical mineral wealth is feeding global dreams of a cleaner planetary future, yet the dominant narratives still track familiar patterns. Commentators often focus on how lithium, cobalt, and rare earths from across the continent can accelerate global decarbonization, while far fewer ask how these same resources can lift African economies. The asymmetry betrays a long-standing habit of viewing African underground wealth as external inputs rather than internal engines of the continent’s transformation.
Let us take a step back.
Global excitement around electrification has propelled demand for battery metals to extraordinary heights. Projections suggest that electric vehicles could make up more than 60 percent of new global car sales by 2035, pushing demand for cobalt, nickel, and lithium to record levels. Countries with massive deposits of such minerals inevitably become central to these emergent globe-spanning supply chains. Yet the question Africans now ask with more urgency is whether the continent will continue exporting raw ore while importing expensive finished products that it will struggle to afford.
Moreover, a consistent stream of news about major discoveries is heightening this tension. Reports from Botswana, Uganda, Namibia, and Malawi reinforce the likelihood that Africa hosts more critical mineral wealth than current projections and mapping reflect. Geological under-exploration means only about a tenth of the continent has been adequately surveyed. Given such potential, investors are beginning to respond positively. However, expectations must be grounded in unfiltered clarity about what Africans want from future extraction cycles.
