Expertise France is a French public international cooperation agency. It designs and implements projects which aim to contribute to the balanced development of partner countries, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and the priorities of France’s external action. Expertise France’s mission is to meet the demand of partner countries seeking to enhance the quality of their public policies in order to address the environmental, social, economic and security challenges they are facing. The agency achieves this goal by implementing projects in the main areas of public action: 

-    Democratic, economic and financial governance;

      -    Stability, international security and peace Stability, international security and peace

      -    Sustainable development, climate and agriculture

      -    Health and human development

In order to give substance to this dialogue and enshrine it in the long term and with a specific focus on the second theme of its declaration of intent, a total of EUR 2.75 Million in funding have been granted by the French Development Agency (AFD) to Expertise France in the form of a technical assistance and capacity-building facility to support the African Union (AU) on issues within its area of expertise. Based on a request from different departments from the African Union Commission (AUC), the French Facility for Technical Assistance to the African Union facilitated the conduct of a number of studies, strategy and policy papers aimed at supporting the AUC on topics related to economy and commerce.

Development of a Map Presenting African Transition Minerals Essential to the Promotion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR):

Africa hosts a significant share of global reserves and production of Critical Minerals (CrM) and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and may hold considerable undiscovered deposits, many of which are essential to the advancement of the industries and technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) — also called Industry 4.0. These, involve the digitalization and automation of industry, the integration of cyber-physical systems, the internet of things, cloud computing, robotics, artificial intelligence-based systems and additive manufacturing.

This shows that there is a symbiotic relationship between these minerals and the 4IR in that the former is inseparable from the later as they are essential for the later advancement. Therefore, 4IR-related minerals will remain integral part of the mineral inventory that the continent has, and that the world desperately needs. Driven by the requisites of the 4IR, the demand for these high-value mineral commodities, in which Africa is particularly rich, is expected to rise sharply, more than quadrupling by 2050, with revenues reaching $400bn a year, according to the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook 2022.  

 Indeed, the advent of the 4IR has created a huge opportunity for ‘beneficiation’ or value-added processing, that would support the continent’s economic growth and productivity, technological advance and industrialization, business, employment and long-term financial revenue. However, several hurdles need to be overcome for Africa to capitalize on its mineral resources. The first step is to Develop a map presenting African Transition Minerals Essential to the Promotion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to gain a better understanding of the resources potential. The map is envisioned to reflect the principles of the AU Heads of State and Government’s Assembly Decision of 2020 (Assembly/AU/Dec.817(XXXV) that recognized the Just Energy Transition in support of Africa’s energy transition in alignment with the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Obviously, and as matters stand today, the supply of high-demand minerals, especially from the African continent, is considered deficient, pointing to the possible risk of shortages in the supply chain. There are many reasons for this, but the fact that a large part of Africa’s mineral resources still remain under‐explored and under-developed due to the lack of adequate mapping of mineral data, stands out to be the main cause. 

Conducting mineral mapping triggers interest for more intensive exploration and investments, which in turn helps discover new deposits or reserves to supply the technologies and industries of the 4IR, thereby benefitting both African mining industries and economies.  Likewise, reviewed and updated accurate CrM and REEs mappings are especially needed for the full and timely implementation of the AU Agenda 2063, as many previous surveys were conducted before the recognition that certain minerals are critical to Industry 4.0 and transition technologies. 

Accordingly, this assignment builds on the African Union's Agenda 2063 aspirations which underscore the necessity for African countries to develop mineral resources and mining industry in contribution to attaining its goals.  The assignment also fits with the values that are identified within the African Knowledge Sharing Platform (AKSP), namely promoting the discoverability and accessibility of scientific and other relevant knowledge, the enhancement of their referencing and usage by global stakeholders from a single, comprehensive and integrated one-stop digital portal.

But more importantly, the Assignment shares the objectives that are at the very core of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV), among which is developing a knowledge-driven African mining sector, attractive to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and globally competitive in international commodity markets to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development, via future-oriented comprehensive strategies, ambitious and productive partnership programs. 

The same could be said about Africa being the top producer of numerous mineral commodities as it possesses the world’s greatest resources of many more, but most of Africa still lacks systematic geological mapping which could bring to light a much greater resource base for industrialization and creation of an African presence in emerging green industries and technologies. Furthermore, as long as mineral geology is said to be inherently stateless and borderless, CrM and REEs mapping outcomes and results certainly support regional and inter-regional mineral resources and mining development objectives enshrined in the AU Agenda 2063.

As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) gains momentum, considering the continent’s substantial reserves of mineral commodities and the surging global demand which is set to skyrocket by 400-600 percent over the next several decades, this is a key moment for the continent to consolidate its position within the global mineral supply chains by supporting the implementation of the African Union Commodity Strategy and its Action Plan.  It is the right time for the continent to reposition and transform its extraction and processing activities, to strengthen its emerging industries, especially in medium- and high-technology sectors and to attract modern high technology industries and services, with a view to achieving long-term economic growth and continued prosperity.

It is also significant that the breakthrough technologies that are required for the 4IR and the battle for global technological supremacy depend on the availability and access to CrM and REEs supply chains which are currently setting the world on a fierce competition and a geopolitical collision course. Taking into consideration the fact that nothing that is happening in the 4IR would be possible without minerals, it is clear that the African minerals and mining sectors, as enshrined in Agenda 2063 and other AU policy instruments, will remain a major contributor to the continent’s sustainable industrialization and growth.

Taking into consideration all the above, the assignment falls under the AU continental strategies and policy frameworks which aim to develop and strengthen mineral and mining sectors. It equally aligns with Expertise France’s international vision and mission of contributing to the balanced development of partner countries. Consequently, the AUC through the Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM), has partnered with Expertise France to recruit a senior short-term consultant to develop a conceptual framework for the design and set-up of an Africa Interactive Critical Minerals (CrM) and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) Map.