President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for stronger continental cooperation among African countries to end the long-standing practice of exporting raw mineral resources while importing finished products at significantly higher costs.
The President made the call on Monday in New York, United States, while declaring open the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development in Africa, held on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The high-level meeting, chaired by President Tinubu and attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and Chairman of the AMSG and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, focused on strategies for transforming Africa’s mineral resources into sustainable economic growth. The dialogue was themed, “From Resources to Wealth: Continental Cooperation for Mineral Value Addition, Data Sovereignty, Innovative Financing and Critical Minerals Security.”
In an address delivered by Vice President Shettima, President Tinubu said Africa must move beyond its traditional role as a supplier of raw materials and develop the capacity to process, refine and manufacture products from its own mineral resources. He argued that the continent’s mineral wealth must translate into jobs, infrastructure, technology transfer, industrial development and improved living standards for African communities.
“For generations, Africa has furnished the materials of prosperity elsewhere. Our duty is to ensure that the future being fashioned from African minerals has room for African ambition,” the President said.
PBAT noted that the growing global demand for critical minerals such as cobalt, copper, lithium and rare earth elements, driven by clean energy, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, presents a major opportunity for Africa. He, however, stressed that mineral abundance alone would not guarantee prosperity unless African countries develop the industrial capacity required to capture more value from their resources.
According to him, Africa’s response must include processing, refining, battery production, manufacturing of components, development of African technologies and the expansion of competitive technical skills. He maintained that the true value of a mine should be measured by its impact on the lives of the people and communities where the resources are located.
“Jobs, industries, infrastructure, technology transfer, African enterprise participation and prosperity retained across generations must measure our progress from resources to wealth,” he said.
The President also warned against fragmentation among African countries, arguing that competition based on lower royalties, weaker local-content requirements and excessive concessions could undermine the continent’s bargaining position with global investors.
“Fragmentation leaves us exporting raw materials and buying finished goods at a premium. Cooperation gives our markets scale, our industries integration, our financing reach and our negotiations authority,” Tinubu said.
Turning to Nigeria’s mining sector, the President outlined ongoing reforms aimed at increasing local value addition, strengthening geological data and improving investor access. He also highlighted efforts to organise artisanal miners into cooperatives, combat illegal mining and strengthen regulatory accountability.
President Tinubu disclosed that government revenue from the mining sector increased from approximately ₦6 billion in 2023 to more than ₦38 billion in 2024, with revenue rising further to between ₦68.1 billion and ₦70 billion in 2025. He also cited major foreign investment commitments and the development and commissioning of large-scale lithium processing capacity in Nasarawa State as evidence of the sector’s emerging potential.
The President said Nigeria’s mining policy is increasingly focused on ensuring that minerals extracted in the country contribute directly to domestic industries, employment, skills development and the prosperity of host communities.
He further offered Nigeria’s experience to other African countries, calling for partnerships based on mutual benefit, shared responsibility, sovereign equality and respect for national priorities.
Earlier, AMSG Chairman and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, announced the proposed Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration (CIEAD), describing it as a potential framework for establishing a unified architecture for Africa’s critical and solid minerals value chains.
Alake urged African countries that have not yet joined the AMSG to become members, stressing that greater cooperation would help mobilise the ideas, resources and expertise required to maximise the continent’s mineral wealth.
He also emphasised that Africa’s mineral ambitions could not be achieved through policy alone, calling for integrated partnerships covering financing, infrastructure and industrial development.
Kenya’s Minister of Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Hassan Ali Joho, highlighted the importance of domestic resource mobilisation in accelerating mineral development across Africa. He also called for greater transparency, competitiveness and alignment of licensing procedures among AMSG members while respecting the sovereignty of individual states.
Representatives from Liberia, Chad, Tanzania and other stakeholders also contributed to the discussions.
The Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration adopted at the meeting is expected to provide a framework for predictable investment, strategic mineral corridors, harmonised policies, responsible investment and shared infrastructure across Africa.
President Tinubu urged African countries to ensure that the declaration goes beyond a ceremonial signing by developing a binding implementation programme with clear timelines, financing mechanisms and public accountability.
He called for African governments to define their national and regional contributions, while encouraging development finance institutions and sovereign investors to develop financing platforms capable of supporting the continent’s mineral value chains.
“Africa’s power resides in its people, markets and ingenuity,” the President declared, urging African countries to integrate their markets, mobilise African capital and negotiate collectively where their interests converge.
He concluded that Africa’s mineral resources could contribute significantly to global prosperity, the energy transition and secure supply chains, but stressed that achieving lasting prosperity would require political will, investment and industrial capacity.
“Minerals confer no automatic prosperity; vision, investment and industry must earn it. Political will must turn mineral promise into enduring African wealth,” he said.