Nigeria, July 10 -- Thirty percent of the world's critical minerals come from Africa, and their access is a priority for South Africa's government during its G20 presidency this year. The issue is expected to be a key discussion point at the group's Johannesburg summit in November.

Does the tech industry, which represents much of the demand for critical minerals, have a role to play in ensuring fairness? After all, minerals like copper, cobalt, coltan, lithium and silicon power the intelligent and electrified systems of the future.

Coltan is used to build capacitors in cellphones, computers and cameras, and lithium batteries power e-vehicles. Minerals such as platinum are used to produce high-resolution displays for smartphones, tablets...