At the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a bold call to African nations to take full ownership of their mineral resources and reshape the continent’s role in global supply chains.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Second Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development, Tinubu emphasized the urgent need for Africa to finance its mineral sector independently and assert sovereignty over its vast natural wealth.
“We must take the bull by the horns in financing our future. Never again shall we wait for capital to trickle in,” Tinubu declared. “With sovereign funds, blended vehicles, and innovation tools like the Africa Mineral Token, Africa shall finance Africa.”
Tinubu praised countries like Zimbabwe, Gabon, and Kenya for enforcing bans on raw mineral exports to promote domestic beneficiation, and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to similar reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He also commended Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, for his leadership in steering Africa toward a future of productivity, pride, and industrial transformation.
“Africa must no longer be the supplier of raw materials for foreign industries. We must be the architects of our own prosperity,” Tinubu concluded.