Presentation
Green industrial partnerships between Africa and Europe can deliver mutual benefits: 1) for African economies, they could simultaneously address economic development challenges through diversification, job creation, local value addition, and climate finance mobilization transition, and political stability, in a context marked by rapid demographic growth, strong demand for structural economic transformation and the dwindling declining of classic development finance; 2) for the EU, they could offer perspectives in future markets and a long term vision of not just critical raw materials but intermediate green industrial goods (e.g. hot briquetted iron; battery inputs).
Citation
Elisabeth Hege and Gboyega Olorunfemi (2025). Green industrialization priorities in Africa and partnership opportunities with Europe, Ukȧmȧ.
Extract
In a context of intensifying global competition and reconfigured value chains, there is a strategic window to build mutually beneficial Africa–Europe industrial partnerships, but this will require clearer alignment of interests, stronger institutional coordination across EU actors, more transparent and operational tools to deliver local value addition, and dialogue and learning platforms to address investment barriers (including regulatory and lack of speed), standards, and longterm market access. This will require identifying shared interests in scaling electrification, reducing vulnerabilities, and shifting from critical mineral extraction to higher value along battery and transmission line value chains. First-mover countries could back bold industrial policies through pilot integrated partnerships on standards, R&D, sustainable energy, and regional industrial clusters. Together, they could launch structured business–government dialogues to address investment conditions, regulatory barriers, data needs, risk-sharing, and green standards across Africa–Europe low-carbon value chains that could accelerate creation of green jobs to close the unemployment gaps among the teeming populations of African youths.
