The Africa Centre of think tank Atlantic Council is launching an innovative three-year programme focused on critical minerals in Africa. As home to 30% of the world’s critical-mineral reserves, Africa has a central role to play in twenty-first-century supply chains, particularly for electric vehicles, lithium batteries, cellphones, medical scanners and military hardware.

The critical-minerals initiative will launch with the formation of a critical-minerals task force, which initially convened at the 2024 Investing in African Mining Indaba, the premier mining gathering on the African continent. The 12-person task force comprises US, European and African stakeholders and officials from the financial sector, development institutions and government. The task force will convene on a regular basis in Washington, DC to examine the role and potential of African minerals in various critical supply chains, ways to achieve greater inclusion of African nations and suppliers, and how to galvanise the private sector.

The critical-minerals programme, launched with support from privately owned integrated energy company Aiteo Group, will highlight the growing demand for resources in African markets, the need to invest in local value chains, and the importance of creating value and jobs related to the industry on the continent. The task force will chart a path for investors to address supply-chain gaps and drive practical solutions built upon solid policy and investment successes. The group will further provide foreign investors with policy recommendations on the business environment in Africa, and create a platform for advocacy through thought leadership on policies and regulation, incentives, property rights, local processing and value chains, regional cooperation and innovation, and technological environments. This work will also include policy research and strategic analysis.

“Africa has a crucial role to play in supplying critical minerals for the global economy,” said the Atlantic Council’s Africa Centre senior director Rama Yade.

“We look forward to convening policymakers and stakeholders at the highest levels to chart a path forward for this vital industry on the African continent.”