Energy Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh is calling for the development of Africa’s green manufacturing capabilities which, in his view, is one of the key strategies to fostering growth, producing decent employment opportunities, and creating sustainable wealth which will ensure that Africa is not left behind in the global green economic development.

Dr Prempeh made these assertions when he addressed the Launch of the Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Opportunity and Advancement on the margins of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability week as keynote speaker on Tuesday, 17th January 2023, at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Centre.

Dubbed “Green Manufacturing in Africa through South-South Cooperation” it was an event organised by Sustainable Energy For All to discuss the levers that would enable Green and Renewable Energy Technologies manufacturing in Africa and strategic partnerships to accelerate our efforts for south-south cooperation.

According to Dr Prempeh, historically, the manufacturing sector has helped drive rapid economic growth and change globally, however, Sub-Saharan Africa is yet to realise the transformative impacts of industrialisation. The contribution of manufacturing to the Continent’s GDP he said, has not seen significant nor steady growth over the last four decades

“The overreliance on raw material exports and imported consumer goods underpin the economic models employed by the Continent which has been the major setback for her sustainable development,” he said.

The Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South said the global energy transition agenda must offer Africa the opportunity to take concrete and decisive actions to redefine our economic model.

“This model should be driven by value-addition and export-led growth strategy, through green manufacturing which will create the much-needed jobs, infrastructure development, increase export revenues and prosperity,” he added

He continued “the African Continent is endowed with rich critical metals such as Lithium, Cobalt, Tantalite which are essential for the manufacturing of clean energy technologies such as Lithium-ion batteries for both the power and e-mobility sectors.”

Dr Prempeh said​ as Africa takes steps to change the economic fundamentals of the Continent, it must not be oblivious to the challenges and bottlenecks of limited technological capacity, inadequate human capital, high inputs costs, high energy deficit, low productivity and weak capital market.

The attraction of green industries into Africa in his view would enable the leapfrogging of the Continent in the energy transition agenda.