Africa must end exploitation of its mineral resources, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has urged African countries to work together to end the exploitation of the continent’s mineral resources and ensure that value is added locally before export.

Tinubu spoke on Tuesday while receiving a delegation of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) at the State House in Abuja.

The group, chaired by Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, is a forum of African ministers responsible for mining and solid minerals development. Tinubu serves as the grand patron of the organisation.

The president said African nations must strengthen their bargaining power in the global minerals market and prevent the continent from remaining merely a source of raw materials for industrialised nations.

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

“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.”

Tinubu said Africa possesses vast mineral wealth that can drive industrialisation, create jobs and improve living standards if properly harnessed.

He added that the continent must invest in research, development and refining capacity to ensure mineral resources contribute directly to economic growth.

“It is how much each country will put into the research, development and refinery. I don’t see reasons we cannot demand centralisation of that conversation somewhere on the continent,” he said.

“So why not utilise that in our research and development and knowledge-based economy to enhance the quality of life and bring prosperity to our people?”

The president also harped on technology transfer and the development of regional value chains.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY INVESTMENT SUMMIT

Speaking earlier, Alake thanked Tinubu for supporting reforms in Nigeria’s mining sector, particularly efforts aimed at local value addition and economic diversification.

“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,” Alake said.

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

The minister said some African countries have already moved to ban the export of raw minerals as part of efforts to retain more value from their natural resources.

Alake added that AMSG members are in Abuja for the fifth edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2026), which seeks to promote a continental strategy for resource management, beneficiation and industrial development.