LUSAKA, May 27– The Zambian government will strengthen its critical minerals strategy to position the country as a key player in the global mineral value chain, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the opening of the Dialogue Forum on Zambia’s Critical Minerals Strategy in Lusaka, the country’s capital, Hapenga Kabeta, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, said the objective should be achieved through the promotion of value addition, strategic partnerships, and responsible mining.
Zambia, he added, is endowed with critical minerals such as copper, cobalt, manganese, lithium, nickel, and graphite, which are increasingly important for clean energy technologies.
He noted that the strategy is designed to ensure the country moves beyond mineral extraction to full economic transformation through industrialization, job creation, and sustainable development.
According to him, a key priority under the strategy is strengthening geological mapping and mineral resource management to improve data availability and support informed investment decisions in the mining sector.
The forum brought together stakeholders from government, industry, civil society, academia, and development partners to chart a path for the future of Zambia’s critical minerals sector. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
