UNGA81: Again, Tinubu urges end to exploitation of Africa’s mineral resources

President Bola Tinubu has again called for a continental push to end the exploitation of Africa’s critical mineral resources.

Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, made the call at the third Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) High-level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development in Africa.

The roundtable was held on the sidelines of the ongoing 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

It was convened and chaired by President Tinubu, alongside AMSG Chairman and Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Dele Alake.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the roundtable was “From Resources to Wealth: Continental Cooperation for Mineral Value Addition, Data Sovereignty, Innovative Financing and Critical Minerals Security.”

It focuses on transforming Africa’s mineral wealth into sustainable economic growth.

The Nigerian leader urged African nations to unite and halt the export of raw materials.

He also demanded an aggressive alliance among African countries to ensure the continent transitions from a mere supplier of raw minerals to a hub for local processing, manufacturing, and value addition.

Tinubu told African leaders and other stakeholders that the continent cannot claim to be wealthy, while its children wallow in poverty amid mines that enrich the world.

“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,” he declared.

Tinubu regretted that mineral-rich communities lack infrastructure, jobs and a stake in their own wealth.

This, according to him, is happening at a time when global demand for clean energy, artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced manufacturing made Africa’s critical minerals indispensable to global supply chains and economic security.

The answer to such deprivation, he observed, “must be processing, refining, batteries, components, African technologies and competitive skills.

“The worth of a mine must be counted in the lives it improves.

“Jobs, industries, infrastructure, technology transfer, African enterprise participation and prosperity retained across generations must measure our progress from resources to wealth.”

Tinubu warned, however, that no African country can achieve this alone.

He added that competing through lower royalties, weaker local content and excessive concessions would only weaken the continent’s negotiating power.

“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,” he said.

He noted that Nigeria must require local value addition for new mining licences, strengthen geological data and investor access, organise artisanal miners into cooperatives, combat illegal mining, and improve regulatory accountability

He said “revenue rose from approximately six billion naira in 2023 to over N38 billion in 2024 and between N68.1 billion and N70 billion in 2025.

“Major foreign investment commitments and large-scale lithium processing capacity developed and commissioned in Nasarawa State demonstrate the possibilities.”

He drew attention to his administration’s mining policy direction, which stipulates that minerals extracted in Nigeria must sustain Nigerian industries, workers, skills and communities.

He said that the ongoing reforms indicate that “firm terms can attract serious capital.”

Tinubu called for “reliable partnerships grounded in mutual benefit, shared responsibility, sovereign equality and respect for our priorities.

“With fair market access, industrial investment and technology partnerships that build African capabilities.”

The Nigerian leader implored member countries of the AMSG to speak with one voice to promote Africa’s collective interest.

The president insisted that reliability must never mean dependency, and partnership must never demand inequality.

On the Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration adopted and signed at the roundtable, he said it must establish a predictable, investment-ready environment for Africa’s Strategic Mineral Corridors.

He stated that the declaration’s authority must survive the signing ceremony through a binding programme with timelines, financing, implementation and public accountability.

He urged African nations to specify national and regional contributions and development finance institutions and sovereign investors to propose financing platforms.