Adesina Fires Warning: Raw Material Exports Are Killing Africa’s Future

AfDB President Adesina Urges Africa to Halt Raw Material Exports

The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has called on African leaders to abandon the long-standing practice of exporting raw materials, describing it as a key driver of poverty across the continent.

As reported by [source], Adesina emphasized this point in a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday. In the message, the former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture under President Goodluck Jonathan stressed the urgent need for a shift in policy direction.

He urged African governments to focus on producing and exporting value-added goods rather than raw materials, arguing that this is the only way to unlock true wealth for the continent.

“Africa must end the exports of its raw materials. The export of raw materials is the door to poverty. The export of value-added products is the highway to wealth. And Africa is tired of being poor,” Adesina wrote.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has expressed his ministry’s readiness to partner with European Union (EU) investors in developing the country’s mineral resources.

Alake made this known during a meeting on Tuesday with EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, noting that the EU’s increasing interest in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector was timely.

“We are eager to collaborate with EU member states and investors. With our longstanding ties, now is the time to transition from discussions to real investments,” he stated.

Highlighting Nigeria’s rich endowment of strategic minerals, Alake pointed to the country’s high-grade lithium, which is crucial for green technologies such as solar panels, electric vehicles, and batteries.

“Nigeria also holds viable deposits of cobalt, copper, and other critical minerals. With over $700 billion in estimated reserves, we are positioned as a key player in the global green energy transition,” he added.

The minister concluded by expressing optimism about the future of Nigeria’s mining sector and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building strong and lasting partnerships with international stakeholders.