Africa must benefit from its Minerals, Tinubu tells G20 Leaders

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Bola Tinubu has urged world leaders to adopt a global framework that ensures mineral-rich communities in Nigeria and across Africa benefit directly from the extraction and processing of critical minerals that power modern technology.

The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made the call on Saturday at the Third Session of the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This year’s summit, held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, focused on the theme: “A Fair and Just Future for All: Critical Minerals, Decent Work, Artificial Intelligence.”

Speaking at the high-level dialogue, Tinubu said Africa can no longer afford to remain merely a supplier of raw minerals used in global manufacturing, especially as the world transitions toward renewable energy, electric mobility, and digital infrastructure—all heavily dependent on lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and other strategic resources abundant on the continent.

He emphasised that critical minerals “are not just geological endowments” for Nigeria and Africa but represent a real opportunity to drive industrialisation, create skilled jobs, and strengthen the region’s role in future global value chains.

“The possession of resources alone does not translate to prosperity,” he noted.

“To unlock the full potential of Africa’s mineral wealth, extraction and trade must be guided by fairness, transparency, and accountability. Communities hosting these resources must see tangible value, through jobs, infrastructure, technology transfer, and environmental safeguards,” he added.

Tinubu called for a global governance structure that prevents exploitative practices, guarantees responsible mining, and encourages value addition at source rather than exporting raw minerals abroad for processing.

Such a framework, he argued, would not only advance sustainable development in mineral-producing countries but also stabilise global supply chains.

The President further aligned Nigeria with the push for global ethical standards in Artificial Intelligence, stressing that AI must be deployed in ways that accelerate development, expand economic opportunities, and uphold human dignity.

“Nigeria supports the creation of harmonised ethical guidelines that ensure Artificial Intelligence serves humanity as a force for equity, not exclusion,” he said.

According to him, responsible AI frameworks will be essential as countries integrate advanced technologies into governance, education, agriculture, and healthcare.