Nigeria and AfDB Push for African Control of Minerals

The Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake, and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have called for enhanced African control over the continent's mineral resources. This appeal was made at the Ministerial Forum on Critical Minerals, Value Chain and Beneficiation held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Alake proposed the establishment of a West African minerals processing corridor from Lagos to Dakar, modeled after the Lobito Corridor in Central and Southern Africa. The forum gathered over 20 ministers and representatives from various sectors, highlighting the global competition for critical minerals essential for technologies like electric vehicles and renewable energy.

Alake emphasized the importance of data sovereignty, regional collaboration, and strategic financing to ensure mineral-rich countries benefit economically from their resources. He urged African nations to adopt a coordinated strategy for processing and deriving value from their mineral wealth, stating that collaborative efforts could lead to greater economic benefits.