……Our minerals power other economies; this paradox must end
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chairman of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dr. Dele Alake, has called for a bold new vision to make minerals the fulcrum of Africa’s transformative industrialization.
“Africa’s minerals have powered industrialization elsewhere while our own economies remain under-industrialized. This paradox must end. Our vision must be clear: to move from extractive dependence to transformative industrialization,” Dr. Alake declared in a statement issued on Sunday the October 5, 2025, in Abuja by Mr. Segun Tomori, anipr, FSCA Special Assistant on Media, to the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development.
Delivering the keynote address at the African Mining Week in Cape Town, South Africa, themed “Vision & Strategy Setting the Stage for Minerals Industrialization,” the minister emphasized that Africa must no longer be content as a supplier of raw minerals but must become a global hub for mineral processing, innovation, and green industrialization.
He noted that the continent is blessed with some of the world’s richest mineral deposits, key to clean energy, digital technologies, advanced manufacturing, and global security.
“Our youth should no longer seek jobs abroad while opportunities lie buried beneath their feet. The time to industrialize is now. Let us set the stage for an Africa that is not just a participant in the global minerals economy, but a driver of its future,” Alake asserted.
Highlighting Nigeria’s ongoing reforms in the mining sector, Alake, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Farouk Yabo, said the nation is incentivizing local beneficiation from gold refining to lithium processing, revoking dormant licenses to encourage serious investment, and strengthening transparency to attract credible global partners.
He added that Nigeria is also developing a National Critical Minerals Strategy and investing in digital systems for data accessibility and mineral traceability.
Speaking at the Ministerial Roundtable of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) on the sidelines of the event, Alake reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to creating a $1 trillion economy by 2030 through solid minerals development.
“We are investing in digitizing mining processes from data accessibility to mineral traceability. We are also focusing on bequeathing strong institutions and the right policies to drive reforms. Hence, the ongoing efforts to amend the 2007 Minerals and Mining Act to provide a more robust legislative framework that will propel investments in the mining sector,” he stated.
He emphasized that Nigeria’s minerals will henceforth be traceable, originating only from licensed operators or formalized artisanal and small-scale miners.
Echoing sentiments shared by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Alake urged African nations to prioritize mapping their mineral resources to understand their true potential.
“After national mapping, it is the duty of countries to ensure only licensed operators are mining. We must also build adequate capacity for effective supervision,” he said.
During the Country Spotlight Session, Nigeria’s Permanent Secretary presented investment opportunities in the solid minerals sector, showcasing reforms, incentives, and a synopsis of the nation’s mineral endowments.
The African Mining Week brought together ministers from DRC, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, and representatives from Nigeria, Gambia, and Ghana, alongside major private-sector players across the continent.