Tinubu urges African countries to end raw mineral exports, deepen value addition

The president says African countries must work together to ensure the continent benefits more from its vast mineral resources through processing, technology transfer and industrial development.

President Bola Tinubu has called on African countries to work together to end the exploitation of the continent’s mineral resources and ensure greater value is derived from them through local processing and industrial development.

The president made the call on Tuesday while receiving a delegation of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) at the State House in Abuja.

AMSG is a forum of African ministers responsible for mining and solid minerals. President Tinubu serves as the group’s Grand Patron, while Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, chairs the organisation.

Addressing the delegation, the president said that African countries must strengthen their bargaining power in the global minerals market and stop exporting raw materials without meaningful benefits to their economies.

“What we should do is avoid bureaucracy and deceit; we must put an end to exploitation,” Mr Tinubu said.

“The rest of the world won’t mind if your country is a cesspit of dams and rubbish and excavates your raw materials without giving value.”

According to him, Africa’s mineral wealth should be used to drive industrialisation, create jobs and improve living standards across the continent.

“It is our responsibility to collaborate and cooperate to ensure that these metals and minerals bring value to us, bring technology to us, and we can do it,” he said.

The president said African countries should invest more in research, refining and technology to maximise the benefits of their natural resources.

Local Processing

Mr Tinubu stressed that the era of exporting raw minerals without local processing should give way to a system that promotes investment in local industries and value chains.

He said such an approach would help retain more wealth within Africa and support long-term economic transformation.

The president also called for greater cooperation among African countries to promote a knowledge-based economy built around the continent’s natural resources.

Speaking during the meeting, Mr Alake said several African countries are already adopting policies that encourage local value addition in the mining sector.

“You charged us that we should set our sails very high and ensure that local value addition is a pivot around which all the objectives of this organisation should revolve,” the minister said.

“So, sir, we have implemented your charge, and we are gratified that today, local value addition is reverberating all over Africa.”

He added that some member countries have already banned the export of raw minerals as part of efforts to encourage domestic processing and industrial development.

The minister said AMSG members are in Abuja for the fifth edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2026).

The summit, themed “One Africa, One Resource Vision,” is expected to focus on beneficiation, industrialisation and stronger cooperation among African countries in managing mineral resources.

He added that the group remains committed to protecting Africa’s interests and increasing the value and revenue generated from the continent’s mineral wealth.

The minister highlighted that the organisation would continue to promote policies aimed at ensuring African countries benefit more from their natural resources rather than serving only as suppliers of raw materials.