UN official urges Africa to speed up sustainable supply chains

A United Nations official has called on African leaders to prioritize the development of accountable and sustainable supply chains. Damilola Olawuyi, Chairperson of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, urged governments and businesses to move faster on measurable progress.

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With increased adoption of rights-based legislation across the world, including the European Union’s Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, it is crystal clear that African businesses that fail to respond risk being left behind in a rapidly changing rights-based global economy.

Speaking at the East and Horn of Africa Business and Human Rights Dialogue in Nairobi, Kenya, Olawuyi emphasized that African businesses must go beyond mere policy awareness. He stressed the importance of embedding human rights due diligence into supply chains, investment decisions, and procurement practices. Failure to adapt to global shifts toward rights-based business standards could leave African companies behind, he warned.

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Africa is rising as the hub for new investments in critical minerals, infrastructure, agribusiness and green technologies.

Olawuyi pointed to the European Union’s Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence as an example of global trends. He noted that Africa is attracting significant investment in critical minerals, infrastructure, agribusiness, and green technologies. However, he cautioned that this growth must not come at the expense of communities or workers. Local communities and marginalized stakeholders increasingly demand development that places environmental, social, and governance standards at the core of supply chains.

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No one wants tea, coffee or even critical m