Africa must use its critical minerals to build industries, not remain raw material exporter — Goosie Tanoh

Senior Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy, Augustus "Goosie" Tanoh, has urged African countries to use their abundant critical mineral resources to build industries, create jobs and accelerate economic transformation instead of continuing to export raw materials.

He said the continent's increasing importance in the global energy transition presents a rare opportunity for industrialisation but warned that Africa must adopt deliberate policies to ensure it captures greater value from its mineral wealth.

Goosie Tanoh made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the High-Level Conference on Governance, Critical Minerals and Conflict in Africa, being held in Accra from July 27 to 29.

The conference, organised by the Open Society Foundations, has brought together governments, civil society organisations, researchers, mining communities, development partners and private sector actors to discuss the governance of Africa's critical minerals.

"The overwhelming central emerging task before us is clear: the world definitely will use Africa's minerals. The question is whether Africa will use them to build its own industries, create decent jobs and strengthen peace, or be a collaborator and bystander," he said.

According to him, Africa possesses significant reserves of critical minerals needed for renewable energy technologies, electric vehicles and digital manufacturing, yet continues to export raw materials while importing finished products, limiting the continent's economic gains.

He stated that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) should become a vehicle for building regional mineral value chains, enabling African countries to process resources locally, manufacture products and strengthen trade across the continent.

The Senior Presidential Advisor further said Ghana's 24-Hour Economy policy is designed to support that vision by linking mineral resources with affordable energy, manufacturing, technology, transport and skills development to create a productive industrial economy.

"Africa has had many mineral booms before. Too often, the export earnings grew while the factories, technologies and skills were built elsewhere on other continents to benefit other people. This time, the measure of success must be different," said the Presidential Advisor.

Goosie Tanoh also stressed that industrialisation must go hand in hand with transparency, environmental protection and community participation, insisting that mineral wealth should improve the lives of citizens rather than fuel conflict and inequality.