Africa must speak with one voice on minerals, Tinubu tells continental leaders

President Bola Tinubu has called on African countries to adopt a united approach to the management of the continent’s vast mineral resources, urging governments to prioritise value addition and industrialisation rather than exporting raw materials.

Tinubu made the call on Tuesday while receiving a delegation of the African Minerals Strategy Group at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The President serves as Grand Patron of the group, which is chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake.

The President said Africa must strengthen its bargaining power in the global minerals market and ensure that its natural resources translate into economic prosperity, technology transfer and industrial growth for Africans.

“What we should do is avoid bureaucracy and deceit; we must put an end to exploitation. The rest of the world won’t mind if your country is a cesspit of dams and rubbish and excavates your raw materials without giving value,” Tinubu said.

According to him, African nations must collaborate in research, development and refining activities to ensure critical minerals contribute directly to economic transformation across the continent.

“We must ensure that these metals and minerals bring value to us, bring technology to us, and improve the quality of life of our people,” he added.

The President stressed that the era of exporting raw minerals without local processing should end, noting that Africa’s mineral wealth must be harnessed to drive industrialisation, job creation and sustainable economic growth.

Earlier, Alake commended Tinubu for supporting reforms in Nigeria’s mining sector and promoting local value addition.

He said the President’s vision had inspired several African countries to adopt similar policies, including restrictions on the export of unprocessed minerals.

According to the minister, member countries of the AMSG are gathered in Abuja for the fifth edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2026), themed “One Africa, One Resource Vision.”

The summit seeks to position Africa as a major player in the global critical minerals value chain through beneficiation, industrialisation and regional cooperation.

Nigerian Firm Announces Major Lithium Discovery

Meanwhile, Steron Mining and Company Limited has disclosed that it has identified an estimated 3.3 million metric tonnes of lithium reserves at its mining site in Abuja.

The company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abu Omar, made the disclosure while hosting participants of AFNIS at the facility.

Omar said the visit was designed to showcase indigenous participation in Nigeria’s mining industry and demonstrate local capacity in the exploration and development of critical minerals.

He explained that the company currently operates both open-pit and underground mining systems and has expanded from granite quarrying into lithium and tantalite exploration.

“Lithium is used to power the future through batteries. That is where the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is headed,” he said.

The CEO added that the company processes lithium ore locally before export, increasing its purity from between one and three per cent to about six or seven per cent.

He also praised government policies aimed at encouraging local participation in the mining sector, describing them as key to the emergence of indigenous operators.

Steron’s geologist, Bello Damulak, said exploration activities have identified an estimated 94.8 million metric tonnes of mineral resources at the site.

According to him, lithium accounts for 3.3 million metric tonnes of the reserves, while granite deposits represent approximately 91.4 million metric tonnes.