He unpacks what the shift from extraction to innovation looks like in practice, the policy and regulatory reforms needed to unlock diversification, and how downstream buyers, manufacturers, and the mining industry can collaborate to enable local value addition. Shango also discusses practical mechanisms to de-risk beneficiation and advanced manufacturing projects, the evolving role of public-private partnerships, and the most realistic wins Africa can aim for by the end of the decade.

Looking ahead, he reflects on the risks Africa faces if it fails to transform today’s critical-minerals opportunity into lasting economic capability — and the single most important reform needed to drive sustainable growth and innovation across the continent.