More than mining: leveraging critical minerals for growth in Zambia
Guests
Keynote speaker:
Oliver S. Saasa, Chancellor, Mulungushi University/Advisor to President of Zambia
Panellists:
Isaac Mwalipopo, Executive Director, Centre for Trade Policy and Development
Charles Mbindo, Consultant, Fulfillment Resources Centre
Maddalena Procopio, Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR Africa Programme
Chaired by
Sarah Logan, Visiting Fellow, ECFR Africa Programme
Growing global demand for the critical minerals needed for green energy and other technologies presents an opportunity for mineral-rich African countries like Zambia to expand mining production and boost local value addition. Additionally, new investments in trade corridors such as the Lobito Corridor and TAZARA could achieve more than mineral extraction if they can be leveraged to connect Zambian producers to larger regional and international markets. However, these gains are not automatic; rather, strategic and coordinated planning is needed across government, the private sector, development partners, civil society, and others to ensure that Zambia maximises these economic development opportunities.
This session is part of a roundtable hosted by ECFR and the Institue of Economic and Social Research (INESOR) at the University of Zambia and explores how Zambia can leverage increased investment in critical minerals for greater local value addition and broader economic growth, as well as the geopolitical environment amid which this is unfolding.