Africa has both the opportunity and the imperative to harness its vast resources for sustainable development.
With the support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and other African institutions, the region can leverage electric vehicles (EVs) to fast-track the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and pre-empt the risk of yet another resource curse.
In December 2024, ECA organised a capacity-building workshop on the development of regional value chains for electric mobility in DRC, Morocco, and Zambia, and a high-level policy dialogue on the development of automotive regional value chains and e-mobility in Lusaka, Zambia. The events attracted participants from the three countries and others in the region.
A key outcome of the workshop was a call to expedite the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the three countries in 2025, and the inclusion of Morocco in the Zambia-DRC Special Economic Zone–a significant step toward strengthening Africa’s e-mobility value chains.
Such collaboration would enable Zambia and DRC to build refining capacity and diversify beyond exporting raw mineral, creating higher added value, increased tax revenues, and skill transfers.
Meanwhile, Morocco, aiming to produce up to 100,000 electric vehicles in 2025 and establish battery factories, would gain reliable access to strategic minerals and position Africa as a major EV producer ready to serve even the European market.
Other African countries, including Benin, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa, have the ambition to scale up their capacity in battery production and manufacturing of electric buses, cars, motorbikes and tricycles to address local demand for affordable and greener transport.
With nearly 30 per cent of the world’s reserves of minerals critical to the global energy transition such as cobalt, lithium, and nickel—Africa is uniquely positioned to benefit from the rapidly rising global demand for EVs and other low-carbon technologies. When it comes to cobalt, Africa produces over 50 per cent of global reserves and about 70 per cent of quantities traded.
However, despite over 20 African countries holding key pieces of the e-mobility puzzle, no country can thrive in isolation. Infrastructure gaps —particularly in electricity generation, storage, and charging networks —remain a challenge.
Nonetheless, African consumers are already embracing smaller EVs that offer faster returns on investment and flexible charging. This lays down a strong foundation for broader EV adoption.
By strategic collaboration, African countries can navigate global competition, stabilize markets, prevent resource exploitation and instability, and ensure the continent reaps the full benefits of its natural wealth.
A strong and coordinated African front on EVs would:
Reduce exposure to global price volatility
Drive economic diversification and job creation
Enable productive migration
Support cleaner, safer, and more affordable mobility; and
Catalyse and accelerate progress in electricity access and infrastructure development
All this aligns with numerous SDGs —especially 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15 — and indirectly helps foster peace and security, as well as development across the continent.
Despite their varying development stages and paces, African countries should work together to reach their full potential, or risk being at the mercy of external pressures and increasingly aggressive global competition.
Without unity, Africa’s vast mineral wealth could become a source of political instability rather than economic progress.
This transition is not reserved for a few, “lucky” countries. ECA, in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and Afreximbank, stands ready to do the following:
Support national and regional coordination by enhancing negotiation capacity
Help develop norms and standards
Facilitate skill-building and innovation; and
Create fairer access to finance
The time for action is now. African countries must demonstrate unwavering commitment and political will by coordinating policies, facilitating trade, enhancing negotiation capacity, establishing robust norms, fostering skills and innovation, and creating equitable access to finance.
These are critical steps needed to turn this ambition into reality.
Mr. Elhiraika is the Director for North Africa at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
