Tinubu Advocates for African Control of Mineral Value Chain

At the 2026 African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit in Abuja, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu urged African nations to transform their vast natural resource endowments into real economic power. He stated that Africa can no longer afford to remain a supplier of raw materials while others reap the benefits of industrialization.

Tinubu emphasized the importance of a unified vision for developing the continent's resources, arguing that Africa must move beyond a fragmented approach to embrace a strategy that prioritizes manufacturing and industrial growth. He highlighted Nigeria's efforts to revitalize its mining industry, with reforms aimed at attracting investment and promoting local processing.

Minister Dele Alak disclosed that significant investments have already been attracted, including a $900 million lithium processing project. Recent geological surveys in Kaduna State confirmed commercially viable deposits of lithium, nickel, copper, and gold.

The summit also focused on the need for human capital development to drive the mining sector's transformation, with calls for deeper collaboration among African countries to maximize resource advantages.