Stop Exporting Africa’s Mineral Wealth, Shettima Tells African Leaders

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged African leaders to stop exporting raw materials and prioritise local processing and manufacturing to retain economic value on the continent.

Shettima made the call during a visit to the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone in Cotonou, Benin Republic, where he assessed industrial and agro-processing facilities.

He said Africa must take control of its natural resources and global trade by developing industries capable of transforming raw materials into higher-value products.

He said the continent could no longer afford to remain a supplier of raw materials to industries outside Africa while importing finished products made from its own resources.

According to him, local value addition would create jobs, expand economic opportunities, strengthen exports and support industrial development across Africa and the region.

Shettima commended Benin’s efforts to promote mass production and the export of locally sourced products.

He said Nigeria would draw lessons from Benin’s experience, particularly in developing integrated value chains around cotton, cashew and soya beans.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Government was establishing eight agro-industrial zones across eight states to accelerate industrialisation.

He said the initiative would support industries capable of processing agricultural resources and creating opportunities for employment.

Shettima also noted that Africa currently accounts for only about one per cent of the global cotton industry, valued at $370 billion.

He said reviving Nigeria’s textile value chain could create millions of jobs, increase non-oil exports and stimulate economic activity across the country.

He inspected facilities producing cotton, textiles, cashew products and soya bean oil during the visit. He said the experience would provide practical lessons for Nigeria as it seeks to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on unprocessed commodity exports.

Shettima further said the Federal Government remained committed to positioning Nigeria as a major industrial economy, while encouraging stronger cooperation between federal and state governments.

The visit formed part of efforts by the Nigerian Government to study industrial models within the region and identify practical approaches that could strengthen domestic value chains.

The call comes amid wider efforts across Africa to move beyond raw commodity exports and capture more value through processing, manufacturing and regional industrial cooperation.