Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has called for a continental shift from raw mineral exports to local value addition, stressing that Africa must leverage its vast deposits of critical minerals to build industries, create jobs, and strengthen its place in the global economy.
Speaking in New York, Alake disclosed that together with Vice President Kashim Shettima, he co-chaired the Second African Mineral Strategy Group Roundtable on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, UNGA.
The session, he noted, brought African leaders and stakeholders together to chart a roadmap for mineral beneficiation and sustainable industrialization.
“We reflected on four urgent priorities: adding value through local processing and manufacturing, protecting our data sovereignty with AMREC and PARC, mobilizing Africa-led investments, and securing our vast deposits of critical minerals for the future,” Alake said in a statement shared via his official X handle.
According to him, the time has come for Africa to stop being merely a supplier of raw materials to global markets.
“These conversations are vital to ensure our resources work for our people by creating jobs, building technology, and forging partnerships that respect Africa’s rightful place in the global economy,” the minister stressed.
Alake emphasized that the continent must move quickly to secure its mineral wealth, particularly deposits of lithium, cobalt, gold, and rare earth elements that are essential for the global green transition.
“Africa must define its destiny in the critical minerals economy. We cannot afford to continue exporting wealth without creating value at home,” he warned.
The Minister added that initiatives such as the African Mineral Resources and Energy Centre, AMREC, and the Pan-African Resource Classification and Management System, PARC, are crucial tools to safeguard Africa’s mineral and data sovereignty.
Alake also called for stronger intra-African collaboration and Africa-led financing mechanisms to ensure that investment flows are not dictated solely by external interests.
“Mobilizing Africa-led investments is central to securing real ownership of our development path,” he said.
The roundtable, which builds on growing momentum around Africa’s mineral industrialization agenda, sought to align strategies across the continent to ensure that beneficiation, local manufacturing, and value-chain integration remain at the heart of policymaking.
