Dr. Mohamed H’MIDOUCHE*
In a context of reshaping global energy balances and tensions on supply chains, Africa is at a strategic turning point. Between historical opportunity and the risk of renewed dependence, the challenge now is to transform its resources into a real lever for sustainable economic sovereignty.
Africa at the heart of the new global competition
The 21st century will not only be one of energy transitions, digital revolution, or technological changes. It will also be a time of increased global competition for strategic resources, logistical corridors, value chain mastery, and supply security.
In this global reshuffling, Africa is no longer on the periphery. It is now at the center. The continent has considerable assets: hydrocarbons, critical minerals, rare earths, agricultural resources, hydroelectric potential, solar and wind energy, as well as an exceptional geographical position between the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean.
The question is no longer whether Africa has resources. It is about determining whether it will be able to govern them, transform them locally, and convert them into sustainable economic sovereignty.
Strategic corridors: a new map of the continent
This centrality is materializing today through a series of structuring projects that are gradually reshaping the African economic map.
The mining project of Simandou in Guinea, the accompanying railway and port infrastructure, as well as the Lobito corridor linking Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia, illustrate the emergence of a new generation of mining and logistical corridors capable of influencing global supply chains.
In the energy sector, the Atlantic African Gas Pipeline linking Nigeria to Morocco embodies an ambitious vision of regional integration, South-South cooperation, and progressive connection between African and European markets.
In the same spirit, the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project demonstrates a convergent desire to better connect African gas resources to regional and international markets.
Recent developments around the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim project between Senegal and Mauritania, as well as the gas projects in Mozambique and oil projects in Uganda, confirm the emergence of new energy hubs and the growing strategic importance of the continent in global energy balances.
In this logic of expanded integration, the Atlantic Initiative in favor of the Sahel States opens up a structuring perspective in terms of opening up, access to port infrastructure, and connection to energy and logistical corridors. It illustrates an approach based on regional complementarity and continental solidarity.
Energy: between sovereignty and global shocks
Recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, marked by strikes on energy and port infrastructure and disruptions affecting strategic passages like the Strait of Hormuz, highlight the persistent vulnerability of global supply chains.
For African economies, these shocks translate into increased energy price volatility, inflationary pressures, and tensions on fuel and essential input supplies.
These developments reinforce an obvious fact: external energy dependence is a major vulnerability factor.
At the same time, Africa will need to closely monitor the emergence of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), a new generation of more flexible nuclear reactors potentially better suited to certain emerging markets.
Facing strong energy demand growth and the need for controllable energy, SMRs could, in the medium term, be a complementary option in the African energy mix, alongside natural gas and renewable energies.
They also open up a new phase of technological competition between major powers, making Africa a potential space of influence in this new energy geopolitics.
But beyond these global issues, the priority remains access for African populations to reliable and affordable energy.
In many countries, millions of households and businesses still face a structural shortfall in electricity supply.
In this context, the development of gas turbine power plants fueled by African resources appears as a pragmatic response, complementing renewable energies, to accelerate electrification and support productive fabric. The best strategic use of African gas is, above all, to transform Africa itself.
Natural resources and security imperative
International experience shows that natural resources do not automatically guarantee development. Mismanaged, they can fuel dependencies, social tensions, institutional fragilities, and security risks. Protecting critical infrastructure, stabilizing production areas, and strengthening the adherence of local populations thus become a strategic imperative. Economic security must now be thought of at the same level as territorial security.
Towards African economic sovereignty
The real challenge is clear: moving from an extraction economy to a sovereignty economy. This involves strengthening negotiation capacities, developing local transformation chains, better coordinating regional policies, and mobilizing African financial instruments.
The creation of the African Energy Bank in 2024 is an encouraging signal in this regard.
But the stake is broader. The new initiative of the African Development Bank (AfDB), related to the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD), consolidated by the Abidjan Consensus, marks an important step towards greater financial autonomy for the continent. It reflects a growing willingness to mobilize African savings, reduce excessive dependence on external capital, and strengthen Africa’s financial sovereignty.
Conclusion: from wealth to power
Africa is no longer just a continent of resources. It is gradually becoming a continent of strategic corridors, energy solutions, and new economic centralities. The question is no longer one of abundance, but of transformation.
If the continent manages to convert its resources into value, industry, stability, and sovereignty, it will no longer be simply a coveted space. It will become one of the centers of gravity of the new global economic order.
In a world marked by the instability of energy flows and supply chains, African sovereignty can only be sustainable if it is based on controlled resources, integrated infrastructure, and autonomous financing capacities.
Africa has a historic opportunity today. However, it must be able to transform this strategic window into a real project of economic sovereignty, serving its populations and ensuring its sustainable stability.
*Dr. Mohamed H’MIDOUCHE
CEO & Managing Director, Inter Africa Capital Group
Former Regional Resident Representative, African Development Bank Group
