At the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 7) held in Nairobi, Kenya on 19 January 2026, the African Development Bank (AfDB) presented a flagship report titled “The Circular Economy: Africa’s USD 546 Billion Opportunity”. The report argues that shifting from a linear “take make dispose” model to a circular model – where materials are reused, remanufactured, recycled, or turned into bio based products – could add USD 546 billion to Africa’s economy annually by 2033, while creating over 11 million formal jobs.

The report analyses five priority value chains:

Plastics: Africa imports over 30 million tonnes of plastic products each year, but less than 10% is recycled. A circular plastics economy – including collection, sorting, recycling, and packaging redesign – could generate USD 120 billion in annual revenue and employ 3 million people, while preventing 8 million tonnes of plastic from entering the ocean annually.

E waste: By 2030, Africa is projected to generate 15 million tonnes of e waste per year (discarded phones, computers, appliances). The report estimates that properly managed e waste recycling could recover USD 65 billion worth of gold, copper, cobalt, and rare earths – a huge source of critical minerals for the continent’s own battery and electronics industries.

Agricultural residues: Africa produces 350 million tonnes of agricultural waste annually (cassava peels, rice husks, groundnut shells). Converting this waste into bio energy, bio fertilisers, and bio composite materials could add USD 90 billion in value and replace up to 30% of wood based charcoal.

Construction and demolition waste: Only 5% of construction waste is currently recycled in Africa (compared to 70% in the EU). Circular building practices – recycled aggregates, reusable steel, low carbon cement – could reduce construction costs by 20 30%.

Textiles: Fast fashion waste is growing rapidly. Circular textile systems (repair, remanufacturing, fibre to fibre recycling) could create 500,000 jobs in collection and processing.

The AfDB announced the launch of a “Circular Economy Facility” with initial capital of USD 300 million, providing loans, guarantees and technical assistance to small and medium sized enterprises and municipalities. The facility will also support a “Plastics Circularity Challenge” that awards grants to innovative recycling start ups. Rwanda and South Africa have already expressed interest in hosting regional circular economy hubs.

AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina commented: “Africa missed the first wave of industrialisation. The circular economy is our chance to leapfrog – we can create wealth and jobs without the mountains of waste that other continents generated.”