Nairobi, April 30 -- Africa is sitting on vast deposits of critical minerals powering electric vehicles, data centres and clean energy, but risks losing out again as value concentrates in processing and global supply chains rather than extraction.

Governments are now under pressure to rethink policy, investment and partnerships to avoid exporting raw ore while others capture the profits.

Stephen Kuria, a mining consultant with experience across Australia and Africa, explains where the real value lies, why global powers are scrambling to secure supply and what Kenya must fix to compete.

What does it take, technically and financially, for a country like Kenya to move from exporting raw ore to producing battery-grade material?

The primar...