USAID Announces New Grant for DRC’s Critical Minerals Sector

 By Charles Hawes, Capital News

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – Today, the Government of the United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Prosper Africa, unveiled a significant new grant under the $20 million Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) Critical Minerals activity.

    ATI is a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing trade and investment across the African continent by identifying and fostering opportunities within DRC’s minerals sector. The program is designed to provide substantial value to the private sector while positioning Africa for future economic growth. By mobilizing private sector capital, resources, and expertise, the U.S. Government seeks to elevate the capacity and competitiveness of businesses, investors, and intermediaries, thereby driving sustainable trade and investment. In an event marking last year’s DRC Mining Week, the U.S. Government introduced an Annual Program Statement (APS) to gather innovative proposals from the private sector. 

    These proposals were required to demonstrate the potential for rapidly generating new exports and investment in responsible critical minerals projects. ATI received over 40 proposals. After a rigorous selection process conducted in partnership with the DRC Ministry of Mines, USAID has selected a few standout concepts for co-design. USAID is excited to announce the first grant recipient under ATI: ROK Metals, a Congolese copper cathode processing plant based in Likasi with backing from U.S. private sector investments. The $2 million grant will enable ROK Metals to significantly scale up its operations, increasing copper cathode production from 52 tons to 1,150 tons per month and cobalt hydroxide production from 28 tons to 250 tons per month. These enhanced outputs are slated for export to the U.S. and other international markets.

The emphasis on fostering diverse and responsible investments, particularly in cobalt, copper, and other critical minerals essential for the green energy transition, represents a vital opportunity for catalyzing sustainable development in the DRC. This initiative also builds on USAID’s longstanding commitment to the DRC’s minerals sector. For more than two decades, USAID has been instrumental in forming public-private partnerships that advocate for sustainable corporate social responsibility, human rights, and the promotion of legal exports of conflict minerals such as tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold.



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