Stop exporting Africa’s raw minerals — Shettima tells leaders

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged African countries to stop exporting raw minerals and focus on processing them locally to create jobs and drive industrial growth.

Shettima spoke at the Third High-Level Roundtable of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, AMSG, held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The roundtable, themed “From Resources to Wealth: Continental Cooperation for Mineral Value Addition,” brought together African governments, investors and mining industry stakeholders.

Shettima said Africa must strengthen cooperation, process more of its mineral resources locally and build industries around minerals that are increasingly important to the global economy.

He said the value of Africa’s mineral wealth should ultimately reflect in improved livelihoods for its people.

The Vice-President urged African countries to move away from exporting raw materials while importing finished products at significantly higher costs.

He said stronger continental cooperation on mineral governance would improve Africa’s bargaining power and enable the continent to capture more value from global supply chains.

Shettima also urged members of the strategy group to develop bankable projects that could attract investment into mineral processing, manufacturing and other value-adding activities.

He said such investments should create jobs, promote industrialisation and ensure mineral-producing communities benefit from the resources extracted from their areas.

Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chairman of the AMSG, Dele Alake, called for reforms to integrate artisanal miners into the regulated mining sector.

Alake said governments should distinguish artisanal miners seeking legitimate livelihoods from illegal operators involved in criminal activities.

“Illegal mining must remain illegal, but artisanal miners should have a structured framework that allows them to operate legally and safely,” he said.

The minister said formalising artisanal mining could provide miners with safer working conditions, training, equipment, access to finance and government oversight.

He added that formalisation could improve mineral traceability and help reduce smuggling, environmental degradation and other problems associated with poorly regulated mining.

Alake also expressed concern over recurring mine-site collapses across Africa, describing the deaths as evidence of the need for stronger safety standards and regulatory oversight.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Hassan Ali Joho, also called for greater sharing of geological and mineral data among African countries.

The AMSG comprises more than 30 African countries and seeks to strengthen the continent’s collective voice on mineral governance, local processing and participation in global supply chains.