The global conversation around critical minerals is changing. What was once largely a mining conversation has become a conversation about energy security, industrial competitiveness, technology, electric mobility and the future of global supply chains.
The DRC is at the centre of this transformation. In 2024, the hashtag#DRC accounted for an estimated 75% of global mined cobalt production and 13% of global mined copper production, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
These figures give the DRC an extraordinary strategic position. Cobalt is important to battery technologies, while copper is fundamental to electrification, power networks and a wide range of industrial applications. But the real opportunity goes beyond being a major supplier of minerals to the world.
The question is: how can mineral wealth become broader economic value? The answer lies in building capabilities around these resources. Processing, refining, manufacturing, infrastructure, reliable energy, logistics, technology and skilled human capital can create an ecosystem in which more value remains within the country.
Imagine expanding from copper production towards copper rods, wires, cables and other electrical products. Imagine stronger local supply chains around mining, with Congolese entrepreneurs, engineers, manufacturers and service providers participating at every stage.
This is where critical minerals can become more than an export opportunity. They can become a foundation for industrial development.
There is also an important responsibility attached to this opportunity. Resource-led growth must be accompanied by responsible mining, strong governance, environmental stewardship, skills development and meaningful opportunities for local communities.
After 27 years of building businesses in the DRC, I remain convinced that the country's greatest opportunity is not simply what lies beneath its soil. It is what the country can build around those resources.
The world needs the DRC's critical minerals. The DRC now has an opportunity to use that strategic importance to build industries, capabilities and opportunities that will benefit generations to come.
That is how resource wealth becomes industrial strength. That is how mining becomes a catalyst for economic transformation.
