International Conference on Energy Transition and Critical Minerals Opens in Accra

An International Conference on energy transition, critical minerals, and structural economic transformation in Africa opened in Accra yesterday.

The three-day programme, organised by Folt, Southern Africa Resource Watch, and Third World Network-Africa, is attended by 35 participants from across Africa—including Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe—Europe, and Asia. Attendees come from policy institutions such as UNCTAD, African Minerals Development Centre, UNU-INRA, and the African Development Bank.

Participants include activist intellectuals, thought leaders, governments, trade unions, and policy officials to discuss Africa’s critical minerals, industrialisation, the need for a common framework on green and critical minerals, and Ghana’s lithium concession. The discussions also focus on how Ghana can benefit from other countries with similar resources.

The Executive Director of Third World Network Africa, Dr Yao Graham, in an interview, called on African governments to develop a common framework in negotiating mineral deals with developed economies, foreign companies, and investors for green and energy transition minerals.

He emphasized that Africa must act quickly in its energy transition agenda because the continent stands to gain the most from the shift from fossil fuels to clean energies.

“Climate change is real. We have to demand endowments which can help with the energy transition. We should act quickly, so that we are benefiting from the use of these minerals, rather than our minerals benefiting other people’s energy transition whilst we remain dependent on exporting raw materials,” Dr Graham stated.

He further said Africa must unite in harnessing its resources, setting up common factories to process minerals for export instead of exporting them raw. The green and transition frameworks in Africa must focus on value addition and how these resources could accelerate the continent’s development.

The Executive Director of Southern Africa Resource Watch, Mr Claude Kabemba, noted that African countries reducing the royalties of their natural resources was a major mistake that undermined development, especially as global demand for Africa’s resources continues to rise.

He explained that many nations are now restructuring their fiscal and regulatory systems to maximise benefits from extraction, ensure proper taxation, and prevent severe environmental damage. According to Mr Kabemba, African states must adopt similar strategies and avoid the longstanding practice of exporting raw materials without value addition.

“The world needs Africa. The world needs resources. Why should we compromise?” he asked.

BY KINGSLEY ASARE

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