President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on African countries to end the export of raw mineral resources and prioritise local processing and value addition to ensure the continent derives greater economic benefits from its natural wealth.

Tinubu made the call in New York during a high-level roundtable on critical minerals held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81).

The meeting, chaired by the Nigerian President, focused on strengthening continental cooperation in mineral value addition, investment and critical minerals security.

The President warned against a system in which African countries export raw minerals only to import finished products made from the same resources at significantly higher costs.

He urged African nations to develop local processing and manufacturing capacity, strengthen mineral value chains and attract investment that would create jobs, transfer technology and retain more wealth within the continent.

Tinubu said Africa must work collectively to increase its bargaining power in the global mineral market and transform its vast mineral resources into sustainable industrial and economic development.

He also stressed the importance of cooperation among African countries in research, refining, technology development and financing, noting that the continent should play a greater role in determining how its critical minerals are developed and utilised.

The call comes amid growing global demand for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, copper, graphite and manganese, which are essential to industries including renewable energy, electric vehicles and advanced technology.

The discussions at UNGA81 are expected to strengthen efforts to move Africa from primarily exporting raw materials to developing integrated mineral value chains capable of driving industrialisation, job creation and economic growth.