From Extraction to Industrial Power
In mid-November 2025, the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA)—the investment arm of Afreximbank—announced a landmark US$300 million commitment to launch the Africa Minerals & Metals Processing Platform (A2MP). The initiative aims to break one of the continent’s most persistent structural traps: exporting raw minerals while importing processed metals at a premium. By channeling long-term capital into refining, smelting, and advanced mineral processing, FEDA positions Africa to retain value, reduce dependence on external processors, and claim a strategic role in global battery-metal supply chains. The investment underscores a shift in the continent’s development logic—from moving rocks to building industries.
A Platform for Shared Prosperity
The A2MP is designed not as a single facility but as a continental industrial ecosystem, connecting countries with complementary mineral bases to shared processing hubs. This allows cobalt-rich DRC, nickel-driven Madagascar, manganese-heavy South Africa, and emerging graphite plays in Tanzania and Mozambique to feed into a coordinated beneficiation network. The model mirrors what Asian economies achieved decades ago: regional specialization, industrial clustering, and cross-border efficiencies. For African governments, the platform offers a practical pathway to move beyond policy declarations toward operational infrastructure—closing the long-criticized gap between mining ambition and manufacturing reality.
Rewiring Global Critical-Minerals Supply Chains
The implications extend far beyond Africa. As the U.S., EU, India, and others seek non-Chinese supply chains for battery and energy-transition metals, a processing-capable Africa becomes a high-leverage partner rather than a raw-material dependency. The A2MP enables traceability, sustainability certification, and export diversification—key requirements for buyers seeking compliant supply under tightening ESG regimes. In a world racing to secure nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite, Africa’s decision to invest in its own mid-stream capacity is more than industrial policy—it’s geopolitical strategy. With FEDA’s investment, the continent is no longer positioned at the start of the supply chain, but at its center, shaping how value, influence, and prosperity flow in the critical-minerals era.