TINUBU LEADS FRESH PUSH TO UNLOCK AFRICA’S MINERAL WEALTH

President Bola Tinubu is set to lead a fresh continental effort to ensure Africa captures more value from its vast mineral resources as he chairs a high-level summit on critical minerals in New York next month.

The Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) will hold its Third High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development in Africa on September 21, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting will bring together African leaders, investors, development finance institutions, and companies in the mining, technology, and logistics sectors to discuss ways of moving beyond the traditional model of exporting raw minerals.

Africa has significant deposits of lithium, copper, cobalt, graphite, manganese, and rare earth elements, but much of its mineral wealth has historically been exported with limited processing.

The AMSG said the roundtable will focus on building integrated mineral value chains, attracting investment, strengthening supply-chain security, and increasing local processing and manufacturing across the continent.

A proposed finance window is also expected to support investment in mineral processing, infrastructure, and technology.

The initiative aligns with Nigeria’s broader push to promote value addition in the solid minerals sector and reduce the export of unprocessed resources.