Bala Wunti Urges Nigeria to Process Minerals Locally
Bala Wunti, the Chief Executive Officer of the World Energy Council Nigeria, called on the federal government to develop Nigeria’s 44 critical minerals domestically to foster industrial prosperity and job creation, rather than exporting them raw. He warned against repeating the costly mistake made with crude oil, which led to poverty instead of prosperity.
Wunti spoke at the 2026 Concordia Annual Summit in New York on September 21, where he participated in a panel titled "Rare Currency: Critical Minerals in a Shifting Global Economy." He emphasized that Africa should transition from being a mere source of raw materials to a competitive processing and manufacturing partner. Wunti cautioned that while temporary mineral concentrate exports may be necessary, permanent raw mineral exports equate to colonial economics.
He linked energy security to mineral security, stating that the future global industrial order will depend on the control of strategic minerals.
Plus234Feed summary based on reporting from This Day. Read the original report below.
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