Africa’s Critical Minerals Must Build African Prosperity
Inspired by the recent reflections of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on natural-resource governance, conflict and sustainable development. The growing global demand for lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, bauxite, graphite and rare-earth elements presents Africa with an extraordinary opportunity. These resources are essential to electric vehicles, renewable-energy technologies, digital infrastructure and the broader global energy transition. Yet mineral wealth does not automatically create national prosperity. As United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently warned, poorly governed natural resources can intensify geopolitical competition, strengthen criminal networks, weaken institutions and contribute to conflict. His central message was clear: producing countries and affected communities must retain a greater share of the value created from their natural resources. The fundamental question is therefore no longer simply: How much mineral w...