Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, has called for increased cooperation between Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to combat cybercrime and terrorism. Africa, home to significant mineral reserves, is underdeveloped, but has a significant amount of these reserves.
Tinubu emphasized the need for Africa to overcome its reliance on foreign markets and adopt a new strategy that prioritizes local value creation for industrialization and long-term economic progress. He also highlighted the development of lithium-ion technology, which has facilitated the production of portable consumer goods like laptops, PCs, cell phones, and electric cars.
Tinubu emphasized the importance of localizing the entire mineral value chain within the continent, highlighting Africa’s desire to go beyond historical resource exploitation. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s mineral resources locally, as part of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, led by Dele Alake, the country’s minister of solid minerals development.
Alake suggested a move towards local value addition, turning raw resources into completed items within the continent, to increase Africa’s economic independence and GDP contribution.
Moses Engadu, the general secretary of AMSG, urged African governments to adopt a new perspective and show political will to make value addition a prerequisite for awarding mining licenses to investors.
