Africa Should Focus on Supplying Critical Minerals, Not Cutting Emissions, Says Africa Finance Corp President
Africa’s most valuable contribution to the global energy transition lies in ramping up its supply of critical minerals, not in reducing its already minimal greenhouse gas emissions, says Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).
Speaking at the Financing Africa Forward Summit in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Zubairu emphasized that the continent contributes less than 4% of global emissions, making it one of the lowest emitters worldwide.
“Africa doesn’t emit enough greenhouse gas to meaningfully impact climate change,” Zubairu stated. “We can’t stop emissions that we don’t make.”
Of the 680 million people globally who still lack access to electricity, a staggering 570 million live in sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the continent’s urgent need for energy infrastructure to unlock development.
Zubairu called for increased investment in hydropower, highlighting that Africa has developed just 11% of its estimated 340 gigawatts of hydropower potential.
Harnessing this capacity could significantly boost economic development and electrification across the region.
He also noted that Africa holds substantial reserves of natural gas, which remain largely untapped. Even if fully utilized, these reserves would increase global emissions by less than 1%, while offering critical support for energy access and industrialization.
Africa is rich in critical minerals essential to clean energy technologies, including cobalt, lithium, copper, graphite, and rare earth elements.
These materials are indispensable for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, and grid storage systems.
Zubairu’s message aligns with a growing consensus that Africa should play a central role in securing global supply chains for these minerals—strengthening its economic position while supporting global decarbonization goals.
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