Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire — Nigeria and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have called for a new continental strategy that gives African countries greater control over their critical mineral resources through local value addition, regional processing corridors, stronger geological data systems, and coordinated industrial policies.
The call was made during the Ministerial Forum on Critical Minerals, Value Chains and Beneficiation held in Abidjan, where policymakers, development finance institutions and industry stakeholders examined how Africa can move beyond exporting raw minerals to capturing greater value from the global clean energy transition.
Speaking at the forum, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, urged African nations to shift from fragmented national approaches toward integrated regional mineral value chains capable of supporting industrialisation across the continent.
He proposed the establishment of a West African mineral value chain corridor stretching from Lagos to Dakar, modeled on the Lobito Corridor initiative in Southern Africa, arguing that regional collaboration would enable countries to leverage complementary infrastructure, mineral resources and industrial capabilities.
Alake also called for the adoption of common geological reporting standards across Africa, including wider implementation of the Pan-African Resource Reporting Code (PARC), saying improved data ownership and standardized reporting would strengthen investor confidence while giving African countries greater control over the valuation and management of their mineral assets.
The minister further advocated for the creation of a continental geoscience data-sharing platform to improve resource mapping and support investment decision-making across African mining jurisdictions.
Critical Minerals at the Centre of Africa’s Industrial Agenda
The discussions come as global demand for minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese, nickel and rare earth elements continues to grow, driven by the rapid expansion of electric vehicles, battery manufacturing, renewable energy systems and digital technologies.
Africa possesses some of the world’s largest reserves of these strategic minerals, positioning the continent as a critical supplier to the global energy transition. However, much of the value generated from these resources continues to accrue outside Africa, where minerals are processed and transformed into high-value industrial products.
Participants at the forum argued that expanding mineral beneficiation and downstream processing within Africa will be essential if the continent is to translate its geological wealth into broader industrial development, employment creation and long-term economic resilience.
AfDB Calls for Financing to Unlock Value Addition
African Development Bank President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah emphasized that Africa’s mineral wealth should serve as a catalyst for industrial transformation rather than merely supporting raw commodity exports.
He noted that while the continent is rich in critical mineral resources, limited access to long-term finance, inadequate processing infrastructure and fragmented investment frameworks continue to constrain efforts to build competitive regional value chains.
Tah stressed that strengthening local processing industries, improving infrastructure and mobilizing investment would enable African countries to retain a greater share of the economic value generated by their mineral resources while positioning the continent as a strategic player in global supply chains.
The forum concluded with the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration, which outlines a collective commitment to advancing mineral beneficiation, regional cooperation, financing mechanisms and sustainable resource governance across Africa.
A Shift in Africa’s Resource Strategy
The discussions reflect a broader shift in Africa’s approach to natural resource development.
Rather than focusing solely on increasing mineral production, governments are increasingly prioritizing policies that encourage domestic processing, regional industrial integration and greater participation in global manufacturing value chains.
The growing emphasis on shared infrastructure, harmonized mineral standards and coordinated investment strategies also aligns with wider continental initiatives under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to strengthen intra-African trade and industrial development.
AFNIS Insight
The significance of the Abidjan discussions extends beyond mining policy. They underscore a growing consensus that Africa’s competitive advantage will increasingly depend not on the volume of minerals it exports, but on the value it retains.
By advocating regional processing corridors, harmonized reporting standards and stronger financing mechanisms, Nigeria and the AfDB are signaling a shift from resource extraction toward resource industrialization. If translated into coordinated investment and policy action, this approach could reposition Africa from a supplier of raw materials to a competitive participant in global clean energy and advanced manufacturing value chains; a transition that would reshape the continent’s economic trajectory for decades to come.