Aiteo, Africa's largest integrated energy company, is partnering with The Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, to launch a pioneering three-year program to focus on the continent's critical minerals.

With the continent holding 30 percent of the global reserves of critical minerals, Africa is poised to be a key player in the supply chains of the 21st century, especially in sectors like electric vehicles, lithium batteries, cellphones, medical scanners, and military equipment.

The initiative is kicking off with the establishment of a task force dedicated to critical minerals, which first met during Mining Indaba, Africa's leading mining event. The task force, consisting of 12 members from the United States, Europe, and Africa, includes representatives from the financial sector, development agencies, and governments. Meetings will be held regularly in Washington, D.C., to discuss the contribution of African minerals to critical supply chains, methods for increasing the participation of African nations and businesses, and strategies for engaging the private sector.

Supported by Aiteo, the critical minerals initiative aims to spotlight the rising demand for resources in African markets, underscore the necessity of investing in local value chains, and emphasize the creation of jobs and value within the continent's industry. The task force intends to outline investment strategies to bridge supply chain gaps and promote solutions grounded in proven policy and investment approaches. Moreover, it will offer policy guidance to foreign investors on Africa's business landscape and foster advocacy through thought leadership on policies, regulations, incentives, property rights, local processing and value chains, regional collaboration, innovation, and technology frameworks. The initiative will also encompass policy research and strategic analysis.

Rama Yade, the senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, stated, "Africa plays a pivotal role in the global economy's supply of critical minerals. We are eager to bring together policymakers and key stakeholders at the highest level to develop a strategy for this essential industry in Africa."

Aiteo, founded by African billionaire Benedict Peters, is Africa’s largest privately-owned integrated energy company, operating in West and Southern Africa. Aiteo's sister company, Bravura Holdings, is Africa's largest privately owned vertically integrated mining company and is developing lithium, uranium, and other critical minerals in countries throughout the continent, including Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Libya, Tanzania, and South Africa.