Africa’s vast critical mineral resources have placed the continent at the heart of the global clean energy transition. Yet despite growing international attention, discussions on mining, energy, climate, industrialisation, and investment continue to be pursued in isolation. According to Dr. Isaac Ankrah, this fragmented approach is preventing Africa from fully harnessing its mineral wealth to drive long-term economic transformation.
Delivering the welcome address at the inaugural Africa Critical Minerals & Energy Transition Dialogue 2026, Dr. Ankrah, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Critical Minerals & Energy Transition (ACCET), outlined the vision behind the newly established institution and made the case for a more integrated, Africa-led approach to critical minerals governance.
He noted that while the world has rightly recognised the urgent need to transition towards cleaner sources of energy, the conversation has increasingly centred on securing access to the minerals required for that transition. With Africa possessing some of the world’s largest reserves of these strategic resources, the continent finds itself at a defining moment.
However, Dr. Ankrah argued that Africa’s role must extend beyond supplying raw materials for industries elsewhere.
“African minerals should not only power the transition elsewhere. They must contribute directly to Africa’s own development.”
He explained that this conviction forms the foundation of ACCET’s work. Rather than viewing critical minerals solely as commodities for export, the Centre seeks to position them as strategic assets capable of driving industrialisation, technological advancement, energy security, and sustainable economic development across Africa.
Central to Dr. Ankrah’s remarks was the observation that policy discussions surrounding critical minerals remain highly fragmented. Mining policies, energy transition strategies, climate commitments, industrial development plans, and investment frameworks are often developed independently despite being deeply interconnected.
“The energy transition depends on minerals, and mineral development affects industrial policy, environmental governance, communities, trade, finance, and technology.”
According to Dr. Ankrah, bridging these disconnected policy spaces is precisely why ACCET was established.
He identified several structural gaps that continue to constrain Africa’s ability to maximise the benefits of its critical mineral endowment. These include fragmented governance systems, limited domestic value capture, external agenda-setting, and the absence of African institutions dedicated to connecting critical minerals with the broader energy transition agenda.
“What is missing is an African-led institution that connects all these strategically.”
ACCET, he explained, aims to fill this institutional gap by serving as a pan-African policy, research, and convening platform operating at the intersection of critical minerals and the energy transition. Through evidence-based research, policy engagement, strategic partnerships, and high-level dialogue, the Centre seeks to strengthen Africa’s voice in shaping global critical minerals governance.
Dr. Ankrah also outlined the organisation’s five thematic priorities: critical minerals governance, energy transition pathways, financing the transition, technology and innovation, and community and environmental justice. Together, these areas reflect ACCET’s commitment to ensuring that Africa’s mineral wealth supports inclusive development while advancing the continent’s strategic interests within the evolving global economy.
Beyond research and policy engagement, he emphasised ACCET’s ambition to become a trusted platform for collaboration among governments, industry, development partners, researchers, and civil society. He noted that initiatives such as the Critical Minerals Sustainability Index, the Africa Energy Transition Forum, the Mining Governance Fellowship, and the Africa Global Dialogue Platform are intended to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and promote African leadership in international discussions.
“We want ACCET to strengthen Africa’s voice in setting the rules that govern critical minerals and the energy transition.”
His address concluded by framing the Dialogue’s theme—“From Resource Extraction to Strategic Positioning: Africa in the Global Energy Transition”—as more than simply the title of an event. Rather, it represents a broader vision for repositioning Africa from a supplier of raw materials to a strategic actor shaping the future of global energy governance.
As the international race for critical minerals accelerates, Dr. Ankrah’s message underscored a central premise that would resonate throughout the Dialogue: Africa’s mineral wealth should not merely fuel the world’s clean energy transition—it should become the foundation for the continent’s own industrial transformation, economic resilience, and long-term prosperity.
