…Pushes for Value Addition, Industrial Revolution Across the Continent
Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chairman of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dr. Dele Alake, has called on African nations to end the decades-long cycle of exporting raw minerals, urging them instead to use their abundant natural resources to power the continent’s own industrial transformation.
Speaking at the African Mining Week in Cape Town, South Africa, themed “Vision & Strategy: Setting the Stage for Minerals Industrialization,” Alake lamented that Africa’s vast mineral wealth continues to drive industrialization in other regions while the continent remains underdeveloped.
“Africa’s minerals have powered industrialization elsewhere while our own economies remain under-industrialized. This paradox must end,” Alake declared in a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Segun Tomori, on Sunday.
“Our vision must be clear to move from extractive dependence to transformative industrialization.”
He emphasized that the continent must no longer be content as a supplier of raw materials but rather emerge as a global hub for mineral processing, technological innovation, and green industrialization.
Highlighting the continent’s strategic role in the global economy, the Minister noted that Africa holds some of the world’s richest deposits of minerals essential for clean energy, digital technology, advanced manufacturing, and global security.
“Our youth should no longer seek jobs abroad while opportunities lie buried beneath their feet. The time to industrialize is now,” he stated.
“Let us set the stage for an Africa that is not just a participant in the global minerals economy but a driver of its future.”
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Farouk Yabo, Alake used the opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector, including incentives for local beneficiation in gold refining and lithium processing, the revocation of dormant licenses, and the creation of a National Critical Minerals Strategy to attract credible investors.
He revealed that Nigeria is digitizing mining processes to enhance data accessibility and mineral traceability, while ongoing amendments to the 2007 Minerals and Mining Act aim to strengthen legal and institutional frameworks for sustainable growth.
At the AMSG Ministerial Roundtable held on the sidelines of the event, Alake reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030 through value addition, transparency, and industrial development.
“We are investing in digital systems and building strong institutions that ensure every Nigerian mineral is traceable and sourced only from licensed operators or registered artisanal miners,” he affirmed.
Echoing similar sentiments from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Alake urged African nations to embark on comprehensive national mineral mapping exercises to fully understand their resource potential and ensure proper regulation.
“After national mapping, countries must ensure only licensed operators are mining. We must also build adequate capacity for effective supervision,” he said.
During Nigeria’s Country Spotlight Session, the Permanent Secretary highlighted the nation’s investment-friendly reforms, fiscal incentives, and vast mineral endowments, positioning Nigeria as a key player in Africa’s mining future.
The African Mining Week attracted ministers from DRC, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and Ghana, alongside key private-sector stakeholders and investors committed to unlocking Africa’s mineral-driven prosperity.
