The African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) concluded its 2026 Annual Meetings with a commitment to accelerate the continent's circular economy agenda from policy declarations to mobilizing large-scale investment, business development and industrial sector building.
Held from 30 June to 2 July in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, under the theme 'Scaling Africa's Circular Transition: From Policy to Sector-wide Action,' the meetings drew delegates from the alliance's 23 member countries alongside development partners, financial institutions, business leaders, standardisation bodies and professional organisations.
The event was organised by the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and the African Development Bank Group -- which hosts the Alliance through the African Circular Economy Fund (ACEF) - with support from the United Nations Development Programme and the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE).
Resources for African value chains
As African economies grow, their ability to make better use of the continent's resources remains a major challenge. Reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling can foster the emergence of new industries, reduce dependence on imports and create employment opportunities. The African Union's Action Plan for the Circular Economy 2024-2034 sets a continental course for this ambition. The African Continental Free Trade Area provides the economic framework to structure regional markets and consolidate African value chains.
"Africa must retain a greater share of value on the continent. For too long, it has exported its raw materials to import finished goods, to the detriment of its industrialisation and job creation," said Anthony Nyong, Director of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department at the African Development Bank. "The circular economy opens up a different path, based on the recovery, repair, remanufacturing and reuse of resources within our own economies."
Sessions on critical minerals sharpened the debate. With global demand accelerating, participants said Africa's resource abundance must be matched by local processing capacity, skills development and competitive regional industries. They called for increased investment in circular economy enterprises, broader access to finance, harmonised standards and open markets to allow promising ventures to reach industrial scale.
Speaking for PAGE, the International Labour Organisation stressed that the scaling up must be accompanied by a just transition, creating decent jobs and ensuring the inclusion of vulnerable groups.
Gaël Ollivier, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Côte d'Ivoire, highlighted the economic significance of this transformation. "By keeping materials in circulation, extending the lifespan of products and developing regional value chains, African countries can create jobs, strengthen their resilience, support their industrialisation and accelerate progress towards sustainable development," he said. "The time has come to move from commitments to large-scale implementation."
Moving from commitments to implementation
Members and partners agreed to advance a common African position at key international gatherings, including the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey, later this year and COP32 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2027, as well as at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the World Circular Economy Forum. The aim is to embed resource efficiency and circularity in climate finance, Nationally Determined Contributions, resilient infrastructure and sustainable industrialisation strategies.
Ten years after its creation by Rwanda, Nigeria and South Africa, the ACEA now comprises 23 countries and more than 20 strategic partners. This development reflects the growing maturity of the circular economy in Africa. Long viewed primarily through the lens of waste management, it is now emerging as a driver of productive transformation, industrialisation and resilience.
