{"id":102670,"date":"2025-11-10T09:04:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T09:04:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=102670"},"modified":"2025-11-10T09:04:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T09:04:44","slug":"unu-inra-holds-7th-adum-kwapong-lecture-advocates-opportunity-for-green-industrialisation-of-critical-minerals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=102670","title":{"rendered":"UNU-INRA holds 7th Adum Kwapong Lecture, advocates opportunity for green industrialisation of critical minerals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) has held the seventh edition of the Professor Alexander Adum Kwapong Lecture Series, popularly known as the Nature Speaks Kwapong Lectures, in Accra on November 6.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s edition, held on the theme \u201cCritical Minerals: A New Scramble or Opportunity for Green Industrialisation in Africa,\u201d brought together global thought leaders, researchers, and policymakers to explore how Africa\u2019s mineral wealth can catalyse sustainable green industrialisation.<\/p>\n

The lecture honours the late Professor Alexander Adum Kwapong, the first Ghanaian Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana and the first African Vice-Rector of the United Nations University, whose legacy of scholarship and leadership continues to inspire generations across the continent.<\/p>\n

Rethinking Africa\u2019s Mineral Future<\/strong><\/p>\n

Delivering the keynote address, Mrs Sheila Khama, a Non-Executive Director with FTSE, Nasdaq, Saudi Stock Exchange, and AXS-listed companies, called for a rethinking of Africa\u2019s approach to its critical minerals, not as mere raw exports, but as foundations for value addition, innovation, and transformation.<\/p>\n

She observed that critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, graphite, platinum, and bauxite are indispensable to the global green transition, powering electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and digital technologies and also vital for Africa\u2019s own green industrial revolution.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe story of Africa\u2019s critical minerals can unfold in one of two ways: as a new scramble defined by external interests or as a new renaissance driven by African innovation, ownership, and green transformation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe choice lies in how we govern, cooperate, and use knowledge to shape our shared future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Partnerships for Knowledge and Transformation<\/strong><\/p>\n

In her opening remarks, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, praised the collaboration between UNU-INRA and the University of Ghana, describing it as \u201ca model of how academic and policy institutions can work hand in hand to address the continent\u2019s most pressing challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, we think critically about complex development problems, co-produce transformative research, and co-create new spaces for thought leadership on natural resource governance, climate resilience, and sustainable industrialisation,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n

\"UNU-INRA<\/figure>\n

She emphasised that joint initiatives from research projects to training and mentorship programmes are essential to bridge the gap between science and policy, generating actionable knowledge for Africa\u2019s sustainable future.<\/p>\n

Africa\u2019s Data-Driven Pathway to Sustainable Mining<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking on behalf of the United Nations system in Ghana, Resident Coordinator H.E. Zia Choudhury commended UNU-INRA\u2019s Critical Minerals Information and Knowledge Hub (C-MINK), an innovative platform designed to strengthen Africa\u2019s capacity to manage its mineral wealth strategically and sustainably.<\/p>\n

\u201cC-MINK represents a bold, Africa-led effort to provide reliable data, analysis, and policy support,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt complements frameworks such as the African Mining Vision and the AfCFTA, helping governments negotiate from a position of knowledge and strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UNU-INRA<\/figure>\n

The initiative is also anchored in strong environmental and social safeguards, ensuring that mineral development contributes to inclusive, equitable, and sustainable growth, fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.<\/p>\n

From Extraction to Empowerment<\/strong><\/p>\n

In her closing remarks, Dr Fatima Denton, Director of UNU-INRA, reaffirmed the Institute\u2019s commitment to advancing African-led research and policy innovation in natural resource governance.<\/p>\n

She said the Kwapong Lecture Series continues to serve as a platform for reflection, dialogue, and practical action, ensuring that Africa\u2019s resources become levers for transformation and shared prosperity, rather than tools of dependency.<\/p>\n

\u201cManaged wisely, Africa\u2019s critical minerals can be critical for the planet, critical for prosperity, and critical for the promise of a just transition,\u201d Dr Denton noted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"UNU-INRAThe United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) has held the seventh edition of the Professor Alexander Adum Kwapong Lecture Series, popularly known as the Nature Speaks Kwapong Lectures, in Accra on November 6.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12238,12239,1883,10,9,12240],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-7th-adum-kwapong-lecture","category-green-industrialization","category-national","category-politics","category-popular","category-unu-inra"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=102670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/102671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=102670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=102670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=102670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}