Tinubu to Lead African Push for Local Processing of Critical Minerals in New York

Tinubu to Lead African Push for Local Processing of Critical Minerals in New York
Seek Greater Control of Continent’s Mineral Wealth
Africa Must Stop Exporting Raw Minerals

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to lead a fresh African campaign to ensure the continent gets more value from its mineral resources instead of exporting them mainly as raw materials.

Contents

EDITOR’S PICK
FURTHER READING

Eko Hot Blog reports that Tinubu will chair a high-level summit on critical minerals scheduled to hold in New York on September 21, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

EDITOR’S PICK

The meeting is being organised by the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), with African leaders, government officials, investors, development finance institutions and executives from the mining, technology and logistics sectors expected to attend.

The summit, titled “From Resources to Wealth: Continental Cooperation for Mineral Value Addition,” will focus on ways African countries can process their mineral resources locally and benefit more from the global demand for critical minerals.

Africa has large deposits of minerals such as lithium, cobalt, copper, graphite, manganese and rare earth elements, which are increasingly important in electric vehicles, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and defence technology.

However, much of Africa’s mineral resources are still exported in raw or partly processed forms, with other countries capturing more value through refining, manufacturing and finished products.

The AMSG said the New York meeting would seek to change this pattern by promoting local processing, manufacturing and stronger integration of African mineral value chains.

The organisation said the summit would also focus on attracting investment, improving supply-chain security and strengthening Africa’s position in negotiations with global partners.

WoPU Backs Yari, Says Appointment Will Boost Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

A proposed Continental Integration and Economic Assurance Declaration is expected to be presented at the meeting as a framework for cooperation on critical minerals.

The declaration is expected to address policy coordination, investment mobilisation, local value addition and supply-chain security.

The summit will also consider the proposed CIEAD Finance Window, which is designed to mobilise funding for mineral processing, infrastructure and technology across Africa.

The AMSG said the initiative would move the continent from discussions about mineral resources to actual investment and implementation.

The meeting will be convened by AMSG leaders, including Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, who chairs the organisation’s Ministerial Steering Committee, and its Secretary-General, Moses Michael Engadu.

The Africa Finance Corporation, development finance institutions, multilateral organisations and private-sector companies are also expected to participate.

Established in January 2024 by African governments, the AMSG seeks to coordinate critical minerals policies, attract investment and strengthen Africa’s control over its mineral resources.

The group is also pushing for the continent to capture a larger share of the economic value generated by minerals that are expected to play a major role in the global economy.