Eight African Nations Expand Circular Economy Push

The initiative addresses a persistent challenge for African economies, where large quantities of natural resources are exported without significant processing.

Eight more African countries are joining an African Development Bank-backed programme designed to turn circular economy ideas into national policies, investment opportunities and new sources of employment, as governments look for ways to retain more value from the continent's natural resources.

The Africa Circular Economy Facility, a multi-donor trust fund administered by the African Development Bank Group, is expanding its National Roadmaps for the Circular Economy programme to Angola, Liberia, Madagascar, Senegal, Benin, Chad, Ethiopia and Mauritius.

The countries are entering the programme at different stages. Angola, Liberia, Madagascar and Senegal will develop national circular economy roadmaps by selecting priority sectors, coordinating government institutions and creating strategies suited to their economies. Benin, Chad, Ethiopia and Mauritius will focus on implementation, turning existing frameworks into policies, funded programmes and stronger institutional capacity.

Circular economy linked to jobs and local production

The initiative addresses a persistent challenge for African economies, where large quantities of natural resources are exported without significant processing. This can limit opportunities for domestic manufacturing, industrial development and job creation because much of the value is generated after those resources have left the countries where they originated.

Circular economy policies seek to keep materials and resources in productive use for longer through approaches such as reuse, recycling, repair and more efficient manufacturing. For African countries, the concept can also provide a framework for developing local industries that process materials domestically and create businesses around resources that might otherwise become waste.

Anthony Nyong, Director of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department at the African Development Bank Group, said Africa faces an annual development financing gap exceeding $400 billion. He argued that circular economy roadmaps can strengthen domestic productive capacity while turning national priorities into projects capable of attracting investment.

The approach also connects with the Bank Group's wider strategy for mobilising African capital, strengthening financial markets and supporting economic transformation that creates jobs and business opportunities within the continent.

Chad and Benin set targets for jobs and recycling

Experience from the programme's first cohort has already identified opportunities across sectors including construction, forestry, agriculture, plastics, textiles, manufacturing, energy and water management.

Chad's roadmap sets out plans to create more than 25,000 green jobs and cut non-recycled waste by 40 per cent by 2035 across six priority sectors. Environment Minister Hassan Bakhit Djamous has presented the initiative as an important part of efforts to diversify an economy that remains heavily dependent on oil.

Benin has also moved from planning towards implementation after launching its Circular Economy Action Plan in February 2026. The country has established 10-year targets that include reaching a 25 per cent recycling rate, collecting all municipal waste and creating 300 businesses operating within the circular economy.

These targets show how national roadmaps can extend beyond environmental goals by connecting waste management and resource efficiency with entrepreneurship, employment and economic diversification.

Roadmaps designed to turn policy into investment

National circular economy roadmaps are intended to help governments determine which industries offer the strongest opportunities for retaining resources and creating local value. They can then identify the policies, financing requirements and governance arrangements needed to turn those opportunities into functioning projects.

The Africa Circular Economy Facility provides technical assistance to help participating countries develop the policies and institutions needed to support this process. It also finances the African Circular Economy Alliance, creating another platform for countries to exchange knowledge and coordinate their approaches.

For the four countries beginning their roadmap development, the immediate task will be identifying sectors where circular practices can produce meaningful economic and environmental benefits. Countries moving into implementation face a different challenge: securing funding, putting policies into practice and building institutions capable of sustaining the programmes over time.

The broader goal is to make circularity part of economic planning rather than treating it solely as a waste-management issue, giving African countries another route to create businesses, expand domestic processing and capture more value from the resources they already produce.