At a glance: Over 120 participants from government, private sector, academia, and development institutions discussed how Africa can translate its critical minerals advantage into decent youth jobs by building downstream industries (processing, manufacturing, recycling) supported by coherent regional policy, skills investments, and stronger governance.
What is ADIF : The webinar is part of the pre-forum stock-take series for the Africa Development Impact Forum (ADIF), which will convene in June 2026 under the theme: Best Practices and Innovative Solutions for Job Creation in Africa. ADIF is designed as an action-oriented platform, explicitly focused on bridging the gap between applied research and policy implementation. Its three-stage model combines:
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Evidence-based dialogue and challenge-setting,
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Co-design and policy commitments at the annual forum, and
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A 12-month “Implementation Clock” to support learning, monitoring, and scaling what works.
Key insights
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Africa must shift from exporting raw materials to building competitive downstream industries to create jobs with coordinated industrial policies, targeted skills development, and stronger governance across the mineral value chain.
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Most youth jobs are created downstream beyond extraction- within certain value chains, with high-potential areas including battery production, energy storage, smart grids, and the use of critical minerals, which cannot be fully leveraged without technology.
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Youth employment must be treated as a core policy priority in mining and industrial strategies, through coordinated regional approach, facilitated by the AfCFTA, to improve negotiating position, enforce local processing requirements, and secure meaningful skills and technology transfer commitments.
Speaker highlights
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“Same solutions of best practices and evidence remain in reports and conferences, failing to translate into real and scalable solutions. This is the reason for the launch of Africa Development Impact Forum”
Ms. Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane Director, IDEP, UNECA |
“African paradox: Africa holds strategic resources for the green transition yet captures limited value—critical minerals must drive green industrialisation and decent jobs.” Mr Cosmas Milton Obote Ochieng Director, CFND, UNECA
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“Put young people at the centre of the energy transition—align mining, industrial, and education policies, backed by TVET/STEM and private sector partnerships.” Ms. Marit Kitaw Economic Affairs Officer, CFND
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“We need policies, the right infrastructure (logistics, aviation and marine), finance to de-risk potential bankable projects and general skillsets.” Mr Tabi Tabi Founder. Granville Energy
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“Youth employment must be designed into mining and industrial strategies—regional coordination under AfCFTA can unlock processing, skills, and technology transfer.” Ms. Chema Triki Managing Director, Growth Teams
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“The strongest job creation sits downstream—refining, processing, component manufacturing, and recycling are where value and skills demand rise.” Prof. Jean Marie Kanda Founder, Lubumbashi Centre of Excellence for Batteries (DRC)
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