Africa Forum on Low-Carbon Materials and Value Addition to Development Minerals

The Africa Forum on Low-Carbon Materials and Value Addition to Development Minerals was held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso from 24th to 25th September, 2024. It was organized by UNDP, implementing the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme, under the auspices of the Government of Burkina Faso and in association with the West Africa Mining Week (SAMAO 2024).

The Forum brought together nearly 200 national and international participants, who came to share their expertise and experiences. The Forum was attended by delegates/representatives from governments, artisanal small-cale mining sector (ASM), mining companies, construction companies, academia, researchers and trainers from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, as well as online speakers from Ethiopia, and Germany.

The Forum discussed ways in which businesses and artisanal and small-scale miners collaborate with governments and researchers to add value to Development Minerals to produce construction materials that use local materials and create jobs and wealth. The Forum also raised awareness about low-carbon construction materials that have less environmental footprint and lower greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional construction materials and promoted alternative and sustainable materials. It advocated for using locally available resources to promote entrepreneurship among young people and women, and respond to the challenges of growing urbanization, while doing so in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Such entrepreneurship would start addressing critical challenges faced in Africa, such as facilitating access to decent housing, creation of decent jobs, climate action and environmental protection, diversification of economic opportunities and the use of local materials, development of small and medium-enterprises, local content development, and the need for indigenous solutions for integrated development.

The Forum provided a unique opportunity for stakeholders from diverse countries to exchange good experiences in value-addition to minerals such as clays, sand, stone, laterites and volcanic materials, in production of low-carbon materials, in innovations and research in these materials, in building materials standards that embrace innovation and are suitable for climates in Africa, and in vocational training and higher education.

Bringing together international experts and ASM stakeholders, the Forum helped to raise knowledge and awareness on technical aspects of low-carbon materials, including research, manufacture and adoption of low-carbon materials, environmentally-friendly and socially-embedded architecture, and discussed the ways forward for the promotion and popularization of these materials. 

The forum further explored opportunities for cross-country partnerships through skills development and training programs and provided an opportunity for networking and mentorship linkages.