Tinubu calls for local mineral processing and industrialisation, saying Africa must convert resource wealth into real economic power.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged African countries to end the long-standing practice of exporting raw materials while importing finished products, insisting that the continent must embrace local processing, value addition and industrialisation to transform its vast natural resources into sustainable economic prosperity.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) in Abuja, the President, represented by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, said Africa’s future prosperity depends on its ability to process its minerals locally, build industrial capacity and create value across the supply chain.
Held under the theme, “One Africa, One Resource Vision,” the summit brought together African leaders, policymakers, mining executives and international investors from the United States and China to chart a common strategy for unlocking the continent’s vast natural resource potential.
Tinubu said, for generations, Africa has been described by what lies beneath our soil, adding that the question before leaders today was whether Africa would finally turn its wealth into power.
The President argued that Africa must move beyond fragmented approaches to development and embrace a unified vision that prioritises beneficiation, manufacturing and industrial growth.
According to him, the continent’s strategic reserves of critical minerals place Africa at the heart of the global energy transition, but sustainable economic gains would only come when African countries move up the value chain.
“There will be no global energy transition without Africa’s critical minerals,” he said. “The future will belong to those who create value, not merely those who extract resources,” he added.
Highlighting Nigeria’s efforts to reposition its mining industry, Alake said the federal government had undertaken major reforms aimed at sanitising the sector, attracting investment and promoting local processing.
He disclosed that more than 10,000 dormant mineral titles had been revoked to curb speculation and make assets available to genuine investors.
The minister said the reforms had already attracted significant investments, including lithium processing projects worth $900 million and $600 million, a completed $200 million lithium processing facility awaiting commissioning, and a $1 billion iron ore project expected to strengthen domestic steel production.
Alake also revealed that recent geological surveys had confirmed commercially viable deposits of lithium, nickel, copper, gold, platinum group metals and other strategic minerals in Kaduna State and several other parts of the country.
According to him, the discoveries further reinforce Nigeria’s ambition to become a leading destination for mining and mineral processing investments in Africa.
The minister, who was recently re-elected Chairman of the African Mineral Strategy Group (AMSG), stressed the importance of developing the human capital needed to drive the continent’s industrial transformation.
“The economy of the future will require geologists, engineers, metallurgists, data analysts and technology experts.
“Africa must ensure its young people are prepared to participate meaningfully in this transformation,” he said.
Also speaking, the Secretary-General of the AMSG, Moses Michael Engadu, called for deeper collaboration among African countries, arguing that collective action would enable the continent to maximise its resource advantage.
He said Africa possesses all the resources required to emerge as one of the world’s defining economic powers if countries work together rather than compete in isolation.
From the legislative arm, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Ekong Sampson, underscored the need to secure mineral assets and ensure that Africa’s natural wealth translates into tangible benefits for its people.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Solid Minerals, Jonathan Gaza, praised the growing synergy between the executive and legislature in advancing mining sector reforms and building institutional support for long-term growth.
As discussions continue at AFNIS 2026, stakeholders are expected to focus on policies and partnerships that will accelerate local mineral processing, deepen regional cooperation and position Africa as a major industrial force in the global economy.
