Why is Africa Prioritizing Value Addition and Revenue Growth in Its Critical Minerals Revolution?

"Kenya can learn several valuable lessons from other African nations that have implemented raw mineral export restrictions. Countries like South Africa, Ghana, and Zimbabwe have taken steps to curb the export of raw minerals to stimulate local processing and job creation. So, a major lesson Kenya can draw is the importance of investing in the infrastructure and local processing facilities before implementing such restrictions. For example, Ghana has successfully promoted local gold processing through its refineries, enhancing both revenue retention and job creation. Additionally, South Africa's beneficiation policies for platinum group metals illustrate the need for policy alignments and local skills development to ensure such restrictions support the growth of local industries," Dr. Omondi says.

"A radically decolonized approach to resource governance. It will reshape the continent's role in the global economy, fostering self-determination. One thing that I speak about mostly is local empowerment and economic independence. This approach will challenge the dependency structures rooted in the colonial era, which is extracting, by prioritizing African interests, knowledge systems, and equitable resource distribution. This is how it will look like: for example, community-centric governance and ownership that I spoke about, where you have a share the community owns. The resource governance would be decentralized with a greater involvement of local communities in decision-making," Dr. Madzivhandila remarks.