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North Africa builds its minerals’ future

February 25, 2010 - 00:00 GMT

KEYWORDS: North Afriica , phosphate , fertiliser , OCP , SOMIPHOS

Even though the global downturn has slowed growth, North Africa is looking forward to realising its phosphate and other mineral resources

However, even though the global downturn has not spared the North Africa region, “good economic fundamentals, appropriate policy responses, and sizeable currency reserves are helping to mitigate the impact of the shock”, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest assessment of conditions in the region.

North Africa - like Sub-Saharan Africa - owns an enviable panel of valuable resources from oil to metals, also involving industrial minerals. On top of its resources in oil, gas, and iron, the region has a handful of industrial minerals such as barytes, fluorspar, limestone, gypsum and kaolin (see table p.57). In addition there is a growing cement industry (see table p.58), thanks to the housing sector boosted by a growing population.

North Africa is generally recognised as the well-established producer of a more and more popular mineral: phosphate.

Morocco’s OCP plans to transform its Jorf Lasfar plant (picture)...

All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. © Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC.

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