Multilateral development of raw materials and commodities can spur industrialisation and African regional integration
KAMPALA, November 21, 2025— Africa’s raw materials are valuable commodities globally and, in many ways, what has been true since colonial times is still true today, Africa’s commodities are powering industrialisation everywhere across the globe apart from on the African continent. As such when the continent’s entrepreneurs, policy makers and industrialists gathered to plot the continental agenda for industrialisation in Kampala this week for the Africa Industrialisation Week, the continent’s mineral wealth was the subject of spirited debate.
Much has been made of export bans as seen in Indonesia which has banned the export of raw copper ore as a benchmark for Africa to land a greater stake in the value chain of critical minerals and spur industrial development in the process. The ban is in Indonesia’s national interest as it seeks to develop its mining industry and capture rather than export value. Plainly, the fragmented nature of the African continent’s legal and regulatory frameworks means the prospect of such bans is still far off. However, it has provoked serious debate and even intriguing counter proposals including one mooted during an engaging session on Day Three of the Africa Industrialisation Week 2025 on November 19, 2025 at the Common Wealth Resort Munyonyo famed as: From Raw Materials to Regional Champions: Powering Industrialization with the AU Commodity Strategy.
Reflecting on export bans and their applicability to an African continent that is seeking to industrialise, Denis Kusaasira, Senior Partner, ABMAK Associates, Advocates & Legal Consultants, was not persuaded as he spoke at the Africa Industrialisation Week 2025. In part because this runs counter to the export-led growth model and regional integration agenda that is gaining momentum continentally as seen in the ratification of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area pact. Questions such as, how would the export ban apply in regional trade blocs like the EAC- such that Uganda could theoretically ban raw iron exports to Kenya; arise and need to be addressed comprehensively.
Instead, Kusaasira proposed Africa take a continental view of its raw materials as opposed to a nationalist view given Africa needs to run where other nations can walk given how far behind industrial development on the continent is. A more collective approach to managing and processing raw materials can accelerate industrialisation, this continental vision of resource management can be realised through the lifting of trade and non-trade barriers to realise the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, where raw materials are sourced from one African nation and processed in a neighbouring nation with ease. From this perspective, viewing and managing raw materials as national rather than continental assets is a hindrance therefore to regional integration and industrialisation on the continent.
Quite how much traction this idea can gain on a continent beset by border disputes and replete with fragile states, fragmented trade and legal frameworks remains to be seen, however it introduces the novel notion of co management of raw materials to advance regional integration and industrialisation. There are precedents on the continent for that matter, take for instance the Joint Development Zone between Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe. This pact whose benefits are yet to be realised, allows the two nations to explore and develop offshore petroleum resources in the Gulf of Guinea. Imperfect as this iteration of bilateral mineral development is, it provides important lessons. On a more positive note, Senegal and Mauritania this year produced the first gas from their joint liquified natural gas project, extracted from offshore wells that straddle the maritime border of both States. This shows the possibilities on offer.
https://thecooperator.news/african-countries-urged-to-lead-own-industrialisation-path/
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