Speaking at an Africa-Europe critical minerals panel on April 23 at the Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris, participants emphasized that the definition of “critical” remains a central point of contention in shaping future cooperation.

Aggrey Ashaba, Chairperson of the Uganda Chamber of Energy and Minerals, said the conversation must move beyond Europe’s supply-driven lens. “Is it what the EU defines as critical, or what Uganda defines as critical?” he asked, pointing to domestic priorities such as limestone for cement and infrastructure development.

The broader message across the panel was clear: African countries are increasingly pushing for mineral development strategies that support in-country value creation rather than raw material exports.

Taona Kokera, Head of Infrastructure Finance Advisory at Forvis Mazars South Africa, argued that the focus should shift decisively toward beneficiation and industrialization. “Critical has to be defined by the nation that owns the resource, not the consumer,” he said, adding that capital deployment must be more intentional in supporting manufacturing capacity across the continent.

Olimpia Pilch, Chief Strategy Officer at Critical Minerals Africa Group, placed the debate in a wider geopolitical context, pointing to intensifying competition between major powers. “The EU is caught between the U.S. and China,” she said, noting that both are aggressively positioning themselves across critical mineral supply chains. “Where does that leave Africa?” she added, highlighting that both regions increasingly aim to move into processing and refining rather than just extraction.

Pilch also cautioned that moving up the value chain is not without challenges. Unlike traditional commodities such as copper or gold, battery minerals lack transparent pricing benchmarks and are often governed by bespoke offtake agreements, making downstream investment more complex and risk-sensitive.

With global competition intensifying and both the U.S. and China accelerating efforts to secure supply chains for energy transition minerals, panelists warned that Europe risks falling behind unless it sharpens its strategy.

“Europe is watching from the sidelines,” said Sebastian Wagner, Managing Partner at DMWA Resources, noting that the EU has yet to define a clear model to compete with either U.S. capital markets or China’s state-backed industrial approach.

At the same time, African stakeholders are seeking to avoid repeating past patterns. While examples such as lithium processing initiatives in Zimbabwe signal progress toward local refining, panelists noted that ownership structures often still favor foreign stakeholders, limiting domestic value capture.