Tanzania postpones historic battery summit amid global interest

from ALLOYCE KIMBUNGA in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Tanzania Bureau
DAR-ES-SALAAM, (CAJ News) – TANZANIA has rescheduled the inaugural East African Battery Minerals Summit to July because of global demand to attend the event.

The event was scheduled for next week in the archipelago of Zanzibar, as the East African bloc positions itself as a hub of the growing global demand for key battery minerals.

It was originally scheduled for April 24-25 but will now be held on July 1-2.

This comes as the world grapples with the extreme effects of climate change and advocates for the global green economy.

The East African Community (EAC), Africa Battery Initiative and the government of Tanzania, in partnership with InvestBank Corp, are organising the summit.

Don Christensen, executive chairman of InvestBank Corp, confirmed Tanzania received requests to reschedule the summit.

“Additional time was required for the detailed security and logistical planning necessary for the greater than expected number of very high-profile dignitaries who requested to attend the summit,” he stated.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been announced as the summit’s inaugural sovereign partner. The Future Minerals Forum (FMF) is the strategic partner.

The worldwide battery electrification mega-trend has significantly increased the demand for key battery minerals.

Recent studies conducted by both East African and international institutions indicate that the region accounts for a significant percentage of the total global deposits of key battery minerals, including cobalt, nickel, lithium and graphite.

Outside East Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe are leading sources of some of these minerals.

EAC has prioritised the development of the region’s extractive industries. The bloc plans to transform itself into a stable and competitive lower-middle income region by 2030, through the sustainable use of its natural resources.

– CAJ News