Nigeria is advocating for a shift from exporting raw minerals to processing and value addition across Africa. The country's Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said Africa must develop the capacity to process minerals locally, rather than simply extracting and exporting them. This push is part of a broader effort to drive industrialisation, create jobs, and strengthen economic integration on the continent. Alake made these remarks at the third Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development, held in New York.
The AMSG High-Level Roundtable, attended by mining ministers and industry stakeholders from across Africa, was chaired by Nigeria's Vice President, Kashim Shettima. Alake emphasised that the continent's growing importance in the global critical minerals market should translate into industrial development at home. He stressed that Nigeria would not simply extract and export its mineral resources without developing domestic processing capacity. This approach is aimed at securing greater economic benefits from the continent's mineral wealth amid rising global demand for critical minerals.
African governments are pushing for greater economic benefits from the continent's mineral wealth. Alake signed the Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration (CIEAD), which aims to provide greater political certainty for bilateral and multilateral projects. The declaration encourages predictable regional infrastructure investments and facilitates joint continental processing initiatives. This move is expected to support joint processing initiatives and investments in mineral corridors.
Alake also proposed the establishment of a Mine Emergency and Community Recovery Fund to mitigate the human and material losses arising from frequent mine collapses across Africa. He cited recent mine disasters in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, as well as the deaths of detained illegal mining suspects in Nigeria. The fund aims to provide a coordinated continental response to these tragedies.
The minister proposed a dedicated African safety facility to improve standards in artisanal mining and expand the use of cooperatives across member states. He urged governments to formalise the artisanal and small-scale mining sector, rather than criminalising it. This sector is important to millions of livelihoods and the supply of minerals to domestic and international markets.
The emphasis on formalisation and value addition comes as African countries seek to attract investment into mining while retaining a greater share of the value generated from their mineral resources. Vice President Shettima urged AMSG to use strategic partnerships with foreign governments and companies to accelerate Africa's industrial development. He stressed the need for African countries to protect their economic interests through partnerships based on shared values and mutual benefit.
Samaila Zubairu, CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation, endorsed the AMSG's vision and warned that Africa could not afford to delay industrialisation. He called for coordinated regional action, arguing that individual countries acting alone would not be sufficient to address Africa's economic and structural challenges. The roundtable brought together representatives of regional organisations, development finance institutions, and major mining companies to discuss strategies for developing Africa's critical minerals sector.
Key points
- Nigeria seeks to drive industrialisation and create jobs by processing minerals locally
- Africa must develop the capacity to process minerals locally, rather than simply extracting and exporting them
- The Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration aims to provide greater political certainty for bilateral and multilateral projects
