President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on African nations to end the exploitation of the continent’s vast mineral resources and prioritise local processing to ensure greater economic benefits remain within Africa.
Speaking while receiving a delegation of the African Minerals Strategy Group at the State House in Abuja, Tinubu urged African countries to work together to strengthen their bargaining power in the global minerals market and prevent the continent from serving merely as a supplier of raw materials to industrialised nations.
The Nigerian leader stressed that Africa possesses enormous mineral wealth capable of driving industrialisation, job creation and economic transformation if properly managed. He warned that exporting raw minerals without adding value deprives African countries of opportunities for technology transfer, industrial growth and long-term prosperity.
Tinubu called for greater collaboration among African governments in research, development and refining, saying the continent must invest in building its own knowledge-based economy around its natural resources. He emphasised that African nations should cooperate to ensure their mineral wealth delivers tangible benefits to their citizens rather than enriching foreign interests.
The President also advocated the development of regional value chains and stronger policies that encourage local processing before export, noting that such measures would help retain more wealth within the continent.
Speaking during the meeting, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said several African countries are already adopting policies aimed at boosting local value addition, with some nations moving to ban the export of raw minerals altogether.
Alake noted that members of the African Minerals Strategy Group are in Abuja for the fifth edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2026), themed “One Africa, One Resource Vision.” The summit is focused on promoting beneficiation, industrialisation and stronger cooperation among African countries in managing their mineral resources.
Tinubu’s remarks come amid growing calls across the continent for African countries to derive greater value from their natural resources through local processing, technology development and industrial expansion rather than relying primarily on raw material exports.
