 As the independent non-executive director at CBZ Holdings, Rebecca Gaskin Gain assists the bank in funding corporations in Zimbabwe. Among other efforts, Rebecca Gaskin Gain supports renewable energy projects in the country, like lithium battery development. If entrepreneurs appeal to other countries’ economic interests, the African continent can earn tangible economic benefits.
Due to its high energy density, lithium is a desirable material for battery construction. Lithium batteries power transportation modes of all types, so all industries, regardless of size, are potential markets. Additionally, climate change has increased interest in non-fossil fuel energy sources, so companies and countries demand them. The African continent has rich lithium deposits, but lithium hydroxide manufacturers have traditionally been located in China or Sweden. By relocating facilities to countries like Zimbabwe, residents can gain more economic power while reducing manufacturers’ logistical costs. Companies like Ampersand in Rwanda already harness nearby lithium resources by creating lithium batteries for the country’s motorbike taxis. By replicating Ampersand’s business model on a larger scale, the whole African continent can reap the same benefits while making energy-efficient transportation more accessible.
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 Since April 2020, Rebecca Gaskin Gain has served as the independent non-executive director at CBZ Holdings. A supporter of many entrepreneurial efforts, Rebecca Gaskin Gain backs renewable energy projects in Zimbabwe, like lithium battery manufacturing.
Batteries containing lithium are desirable due to their high energy density. Vehicles of all kinds, across all industries, require lithium batteries to function, so any industry is a potential market. Due to the heightened interest in non-fossil fuel energy sources, brought about by climate change, countries and companies alike are more interested in investing in energy sources like lithium batteries than they were in the past. Although the African continent contains plentiful lithium deposits, current lithium hydroxide manufacturers are usually located in Sweden or China. If these manufacturers relocated to countries like Zimbabwe, residents could generate more income while lowering these companies' logistical costs. The Rwandan company Ampersand, for example, already supports the country's motorbike taxi industry by creating lithium batteries for them. If developed nations replicated Ampersand’s business model, the whole African continent could reap similar benefits while combating climate change.  Winner of the Presidential Award of Gold Medal and Ordre Nationale du Mérite Civique, Rebecca Gaskin Gain serves as the Independent Non-Executive Director at CBZ Holdings, Zimbabwe. With a history in Nexant Inc, Rebecca Gaskin Gain has helped the US Government with the Power Africa initiative, which aims to help people in Africa access electricity.
Natural gas accounts for 87.5 percent of the on-grid energy Nigeria generates. However, many infrastructural failures and other constraints have forced many Nigerians to rely on diesel and petrol as a source of power. With the negative effects of pollution, the need for renewable energy has gone from important to critical. To incentivize renewable energy investments, the Nigerian Federal Government exempted certain renewable energy equipment from VAT. Furthermore, the Federal Government of Nigeria’s ‘Solar Power Naija Project’ seeks to provide solar power systems to five million off-grid households. This project is under the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (or NESP), and its execution has been assisted by the CBN, which provides $340 million in loans to projects. |
AuthorInternational Finance and Energy Consultant, Rebecca Gaskin Gain, J.D. Archives
April 2025
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