Oxford Africa Forum

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Can Africa turn critical minerals into green industrialisation?

Leezola Zongwe and Francesca Manyonyi explore how Africa could emerge as not only a source of critical minerals but also a centre of green industrialisation

Oxford Africa Forum publishes accessible, abridged versions of scholarly works on Africa and African Studies, alongside expert analysis and commentary on African issues and affairs. Its purpose is to bring academic research and informed reflection into wider intellectual and public conversation in a concise and readable form.

Drawing on Oxford's African Studies community and beyond, the Forum provides a space for scholars to present shorter adaptations of published work while preserving the substance, significance, and analytical rigour of the original research. In doing so, it seeks to widen access to current scholarship and to foster thoughtful engagement with contemporary African affairs.

Oxford Africa Forum invites pitches for accessible, approximately 1,000-word pieces based on published scholarship on Africa and African Studies, as well as for expert commentary on African issues and affairs.

We welcome contributions that present original research in abridged form for a wider readership, alongside concise analytical commentary grounded in scholarly expertise. All submissions should be clear and accessible to non-specialist audiences.

Prospective contributors should send a short pitch outlining the proposed piece to: michael.odijie@africa.ox.ac.uk

All blogs

adobestock 1391846827 web

Can Africa turn critical minerals into green industrialisation?

Leezola Zongwe and Francesca Manyonyi explore how Africa could emerge as not only a source of critical minerals but also a centre of green industrialisation
adobestock 550391967 web

When the Market Floods: Lagos's Informal Workers and the Resilience the City Cannot See

Gbenga Akinlolu Shadare examines how informal workers in Lagos perceive, experience and respond to climate-related disasters
adobestock 162376485 web

From Solidarity to Scapegoating: Pan-Africanism and Afrophobia in South Africa's Township Classrooms

Esma Karadağ (Hacettepe University) argues that to understand the recent violence against African migrants in South Africa we must look at the country's township classrooms
adobestock 1904189143 web

Beyond Charity: How Philanthropy Reshapes Power and Elites in Africa

Corentin Cohen argues for a re-examination of philanthropy as a practice embedded in power, inequality and governance
A large industrial ship in the port of Berbera, Somaliland. Credit: stock.adobe.com / Matyas Rehak

The Paradox of Progress: How Multi-Party Democracy and Development Have Led to Growing Instability in Somaliland

Markus Virgil Hoehne (University of Goettingen) and Jethro Norman (Danish Institute for International Studies) argue that internal opposition in Somaliland has increased in tandem with external investments and diplomatic engagement.
View of Dakar industrial harbour. There are rows of shipping containers and vehicles and a glimpse of a large ship in the back. Credit: manola72 - stock.adobe.com

Africa at an Inflection Point: U.S. Tariffs and WTO Stasis Call for Strategic Engagement Amid Uncertainty

Dr Ese Stephen Owie explores the changing nature of global trade policy, and why it matters so much for Africa.
An illustration of young Africans standing together, each raising a clenched fist in the air. They wear casual clothing in various colours. Credit: stock.adobe.com / rexandpan

Bringing Pan-Africanism back in: why the way we study it matters

Daniel Mulugeta approaches Pan-Africanism as an 'analytical category', exploring how this opens questions of how African politics works and how it is understood.
An aerial view of a cellular antenna at sunset, in front of a town, railway line and some hills.

Rethinking Digital Sovereignty: Dependency, Power, and Africa's Tech Future

Bulelani Jili explores 'digital sovereignty', arguing that it is not always a path to greater autonomy.
An aerial shot of Mogadischu. A road runs through a town heading towards the ocean.

The state-capital nexus in fragile contexts: A case study of tax relations in Somalia

Dr Gayatri Sahgal (Chr. Michelsen Institute, Norway) looks at Somalia to ask: does capitalism need the state?