President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a stronger alliance among African countries to end the export of raw minerals and ensure the continent retains more value from its vast natural resources.
Tinubu made the call in New York during the 3rd Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development, held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said Africa must move beyond extracting and exporting raw materials and instead invest in processing, refining, manufacturing and technology.
He argued that Africa’s mineral wealth should create jobs, industries, infrastructure and sustainable prosperity for its people rather than continuing to fuel industrial growth elsewhere.
Tinubu warned that African countries could weaken their bargaining power by competing against one another through lower royalties, weaker local-content requirements and excessive concessions to investors.
According to him, greater continental cooperation would provide African countries with stronger markets, integrated industries, broader financing opportunities and greater negotiating power in the global mineral economy.
“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.
The President also urged African countries to harmonise policies, develop shared infrastructure and create a predictable investment environment for strategic mineral corridors.
He called for the Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration adopted at the meeting to be backed by clear timelines, financing arrangements, implementation mechanisms and public accountability.
Tinubu further said Nigeria would strengthen local value addition by making it a requirement for new mining licences, improving geological data, organising artisanal miners into cooperatives and tackling illegal mining.
He cited increased mining-sector revenue in Nigeria as evidence of the potential of the reforms, saying revenue rose from about ₦6 billion in 2023 to more than ₦38 billion in 2024 and between ₦68.1 billion and ₦70 billion in 2025.
The President urged African nations to speak with one voice when negotiating with international partners, stressing that cooperation should be based on mutual benefit, technology transfer, fair market access and investment that strengthens African industrial capacity.
He said the continent must take greater responsibility for organising its mineral economy.
“Africa’s power resides in its people, markets and ingenuity. No outsider will organise our continent or place our industrial interests above their own,” Tinubu said.
The meeting was chaired by Tinubu alongside Shettima and AMSG Chairman and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, with representatives from several African countries participating in the discussions.
