Despite the potential in energy resources on the continent, 600 million people do not have electricity in Africa, the energy deficit and infrastructure is still immense.
According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the continent is home to about 30% of the world's mineral reserves and a significant share of the world's production of minerals and metals of economic importance. These reserves account for an average of 70% of Africa's total exports and about 28% of its overall gross domestic product. These African extractive resources, if properly exploited, could contribute at least $30 billion annually to government revenues by 2050.
Jean Luc Mastaki Nemegabe in charge of ECA-CA office, supports the need to mobilize for initiatives aimed at bridging the energy gap on the continent including the materialization of the project to install the manufacturing plant of electric batteries in DRC and Zambia. By 2050, there will be a strong demand for electric vehicles.
Efforts are being made on the ground by the private sector to fill the energy gap by building dams, electricity, photovoltaic panels to give energy to the population.
"Africa must develop energy added values. One of the initiatives is the production of the electric battery, which was launched in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the DRC-Africa Business Forum. Electric vehicles represent a market opportunity of $7 trillion between now and 2030, and $46 trillion between now and 2050. Africa needs to develop the added value. Many countries could play a major role in the lithium-ion battery supply chain by exploiting their abundant natural resources and offshoring more of the value chain," he said.
The Congolese Minister of Industry Julien Paluku Kahongya invited African countries to support the initiative and allocate budgets for the promotion of the industrial sector. "The first pre-feasibility studies for the establishment of this plant have begun thanks to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa; the launch of the African Center of Excellence for Advanced Research on batteries, the support of the finalization by the ECA and Afreximbank of the terms of reference of the executive and technical committees of the DRC-Zambia battery council, are the recommendations of the DRC-Business Forum implemented," he explained.
Afreximbank, BADEA and AFC are African institutions that have agreed to finance the implementation of this project.
The African Free Trade Area (AFTA) with a market estimated at 1.2 billion dollars, Africa must take advantage of its potential in mineral resources and untapped reserves to launch the industrial transformation.
The interim Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Antonio Pedro, for his part, stressed the development of regional value chains and the immense challenges in the mining sector on the continent. "Transforming the continent's energy resources is essential, which is why we must encourage industrial initiatives in the DRC and Zambia. The rest of the world is not waiting for Africa's development but is looking to Africa to invest in the exploitation of mineral resources and secure energy resources. Africa needs to create an ecosystem that involves networks of African investors in the mining and renewable energy sectors. Also, we need to address infrastructure deficits, mobilizing financial consortia to create special economic zones, fusion technology to take advantage of the opportunities that the continent offers," said Antonio Pedro.
It is up to the ECA to identify financial and technical partners; to institutionalize the initiative of manufacturing electric batteries on a continental scale, to find energy storage systems, tools for hydrogen production, to encourage the value of minerals and batteries. This will allow to go towards an economic transformation of the continent's development", launched Prof RABANI Adamou of ABDOU MOUMOUNI University.