Abuja: The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has emphasized the necessity for Africa to rewrite its history by leveraging its mineral wealth for local development. Speaking at the opening of the fourth edition of the Africans Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) in Abuja, Alake, who also serves as the Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), highlighted the potential for Africa's minerals to drive the continent's sustainable development.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Alake stated that the summit, themed 'Harnessing Local Content for Sustainable Development,' provides a platform not only for exchanging ideas but also for exploring opportunities where Africa can benefit from sustained wealth. He stressed that Africa should aim to transform its natural wealth from merely being statistics in someone else's report to a driving force for industrial growth, equity, and sustainable development.
The minister underscored the immense potential of Africa's natural resources in achieving sustainable development goals, emphasizing the need for policies such as value addition of minerals. "Local content requires Africa to shift away from exporting raw materials and instead build factories, refine minerals, generate power locally, and create jobs," Alake explained. Citing the example of the Dangote industrial complexes in Nigeria, he urged for similar investments across the continent to prioritize local content and integrate value chains.
Alake further highlighted the importance of relying on Africa's own capital and ownership to achieve sustainable development, referencing Nigeria's Solid Minerals Development Fund as a supportive measure for small-scale miners, infrastructure development, and risk mitigation in exploration and processing. He also announced the upcoming launch of the 'Africans for Africa Fund' at the 2025 AFNIS, aimed at mobilizing African capital for African priorities.
In his remarks, Hassan Joho, Kenya's Minister for Mining, Blue Economy, Shipping and Maritime Affairs, echoed the call for Africa to add value to its minerals and engage in meaningful conversations about its future. Additionally, Nigeria's Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, reiterated the country's commitment to ensuring local content evolves from a policy slogan to a measurable lever for economic growth, industrial capacity, and energy security.
The summit also featured goodwill messages from ministers of mining from Rwanda, Liberia, Kenya, and international delegates from Germany, Australia, and the UK, among others.