Tinubu urges African unity for solid minerals development, calls to end raw material exports

President Bola Tinubu has called for a unified African strategy to harness the continent's vast solid mineral wealth, urging nations to prioritize value addition and industrialization over the export of raw materials. Speaking at the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) in Abuja, themed “One Africa, One Resource Vision,” Tinubu stressed that Africa must take ownership of its mineral resources to drive economic transformation.

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The theme ‘One Africa, One Resource Vision’ is a declaration of intent. It says Africa will no longer approach its destiny as fragmented markets, isolated producers or separate voices negotiating from positions of weakness. Africa must think together, plan together and grow together.

Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, stated that Africa can no longer afford to operate as fragmented economies. "Africa must think together, plan together and grow together," he declared, highlighting the continent's strategic global position due to its mineral resources, which are vital for the global energy transition and industrial development.

The president underscored the need for Africa to process and manufacture its resources domestically, creating jobs and building prosperity. "We must move beyond simply exporting raw materials. We must process, manufacture, create jobs and build prosperity from our resources," he asserted. This approach, he added, aligns with Nigeria's own agenda for industrial growth, energy access, and infrastructure development.

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The world is changing rapidly, and Africa’s resources are central to that change. There can be no global energy transition without Africa’s minerals. But we must move beyond simply exporting raw materials. We must process, manufacture, create jobs and build prosperity from our resources.

Advocating for deeper regional integration, Tinubu suggested that African countries should collaborate on major industrial and energy projects, enabling cross-border trade and energy transfer. He envisioned a scenario where one African country could build a refinery in another, or gas fields in one region could power factories across borders, ultimately fostering a continental grid. "Africa must be seen not as a collection of limitations but as one vast field of opportunity," he concluded.

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One African country should be able to build a refinery in another. Gas fields in one region should power factories across borders. Solar energy corridors should support a continental grid. Africa must be seen not as a collection of limitations but as one vast field of opportunity.