Africa must build its future on minerals, energy, strong resolve-Minister

Caption:The 8th person in the picture from R-L is the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake. The 6th person is the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu. The 9th person is the Permanent Secretary of Solid Minerals Development Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo FNSE. The Kenyan Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs  of Kenya, Hassan Ali Joho. The Chief Executive officer of Tour Exploration, Segun  Lawson including participants  from different countries and Nigeria. During the opening session of the 4th edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2025), at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja on 16th July, 2025

To reposition Africa for greatness, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, on Wednesday reiterated the push for African nations to rewrite their history through dignity, enterprise and transformation.

Urging them to embrace collective and real change, he said, they should begin building a future powered by African minerals, fueled by African energy, and led by African resolve.

He made the remark during the opening session of the 4th edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2025), at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

Advocating for minerals value addition, Dr Alake spoke against exportation of Africa’s minerals in raw materials form.

He said “We seek to build a future where Africa’s natural wealth is no longer a statistic in someone else’s report. We aspire to a continent where its natural wealth serves as a driving force for industrial growth, equity, and sustainable development.

“In line with the aspirations of Agenda 2063, this gathering marks a decisive step towards a development model anchored on our priorities.

“Today, Africa is at the crossroads. Our continent boasts a wealth of natural resources which hold immense potential for meeting sustainable development goals.”

Quoting Patrice Lumumba saying “Africa will write its own history,” the Minister added “And let us ensure it is a history of dignity, of enterprise, of transformation. Here in Abuja, let us raise our collective voice, commit to real change, and begin building a future powered by African minerals, fueled by African energy, and led by African resolve.

Nigeria stands ready. Let us move forward, together!”

He said Nigeria is proud to welcome leaders, investors, and experts from the mining, energy, power, and finance sectors worldwide to engage in transformational conversations that will set the tone for Africa future.

Noting that Nigeria has integrated its variable renewable energy sources effectively, he said the goal is not just to make grids larger, but to make them smarter, more stable, and climate-resilient.

He disclosed that Nigeria is home to over forty types of minerals, including gold, lithium, tin, coal, and rare earth elements.

Stressing that few of them are central to the global energy transition, he pointed out that they often remain unprocessed.

“This is the paradox we must confront. Africa has been a supplier of raw materials for too long, and in doing so, we’ve forfeited jobs, industrial growth, and absolute economic sovereignty. That must end.

“The actual value of our minerals lies not in the dust and rock, but in the refined products, batteries, alloys, steel, and technologies that emerge when we process them ourselves.

“Our campaign for value addition began with a renewed consciousness to preserve and maximise our mineral wealth, thereby gaining more market value and translating to a better life for our people.

“This campaign is the raison d’être for the formation of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, the influential association of mining ministers which I chair.”

He said that far reaching decisions were taken at the sixth inter-ministerial meeting, held virtually, on the need to further regulate the exports of raw minerals by insisting on processing them before export.

“Significantly, the AMSG also adopted a proposal that I laid before the meeting to adopt and apply the recently developed African Mineral and Energy Resources Classification and Management System, AMREC and the Pan-African Resources Reporting Code, PARC.”

Commending the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, Dr Alake, informed the gathering that Nigeria has implemented sweeping reforms to formalise mining and boost domestic value addition.

He unveiled the great achievements that have been recorded from the reforms in Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Faruk Yusuf Yabo, in his welcome address, noted that this year’s summit convened at a pivotal moment for Africa when the continent is shifting its

narrative from potential to purpose, from resource-rich to value-driven, and from dependence to self determined development.

He said “AFNIS 2025 is not just a  forum—it is a catalyst for Africa’s transformation.

“The theme of this year’s summit, “Harnessing Local Content for Sustainable Development,” is both timely and compelling. It reflects our shared aspiration  to leverage Africa’s vast natural and energy resources in ways that foster inclusive growth, technological advancement, and economic resilience.

Stressing that the discussion of the summit is not on commodities, the Permanent Secretary said it is envisioning a future where mineral wealth is refined, processed, and utilized on African soil, where energy ecosystems are not just  clean, but smart, and equitable, where local talent is  empowered, and African communities are not  bystanders but beneficiaries in the value chain.

In his Sectoral Address, the  Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, commended the organisers for bringing together stakeholders to focus on one of the most urgent priorities in the continent’s energy future: ‘building systems that serve Africa, are built in Africa, and are powered by Africans’

As the global trends shift toward decentralisation, digitisation, and decarbonisation, he said, Nigeria is working to ensure that local content does not remain a policy slogan but becomes a measurable lever for economic growth, industrial capacity, and energy security.

The Power minister stressed that local content must be measurable, translate to jobs, supply chains, technical skills, and retained value.

A co-sponsor of the event and Chief Executive Officer of Tour Exploration, Segun Lawson applauded the Nigerian government for providing accurate exploration data for stakeholders in the sector.

On his part, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs of Kenya, Hassan Ali Joho said that it’s time for African countries to work together to create jobs and wealth that will transform the continent and the people for global development.

Other personalities also delivered goodwill messages at the summit before going into technical sessions.