https://en.sputniknews.africa/20260717/more-than-digging--can-africa-finally-own-its-mineral-wealth--1087594876.html
More Than Digging — Can Africa Finally Own Its Mineral Wealth?
More Than Digging — Can Africa Finally Own Its Mineral Wealth?
Sputnik Africa
Why has Africa remained trapped in exporting raw minerals while importing finished goods? This episode dissects the structural barriers to local beneficiation... 17.07.2026, Sputnik Africa
2026-07-17T16:19+0200
2026-07-17T16:19+0200
2026-07-17T16:19+0200
pan-african frequency
sputnik africa
africa
podcasts
african union (au)
nigeria
bola tinubu
exploitation
minerals
lithium
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07ea/07/11/1087594695_0:67:1280:787_1920x0_80_0_0_8703343ce16861189d25db1388286ee1.jpg
More Than Digging — Can Africa Finally Own Its Mineral Wealth?
Sputnik Africa
Why has Africa remained trapped in exporting raw minerals while importing finished goods? This episode dissects the structural barriers to local beneficiation, the leverage of the continent in the global scramble, and the regional strategies that could finally turn political declarations into processing plants and shared prosperity.
Africa’s critical minerals fuel the world’s green transition, yet the continent remains locked into exporting raw materials. A chunk of Congolese cobalt that leaves the continent for a few dollars returns as a battery worth thousands. A ton of Namibia’s lithium powers a European electric vehicle while the community that mined it grapples with energy poverty. But recently, in a landmark address to the African Minerals Strategy Group, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for an end to the unfair exploitation of Africa’s critical minerals. In this episode, development economist Prof. Amaka Metu, Professor of Development and Energy Economics in the Department of Economics, at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, and a Facilitator at the National Open University of Nigeria, dissects President Tinubu’s call to end exploitation, the real barriers to beneficiation, and the Pan-African strategies that could finally turn rhetoric into refineries.The central takeaway from Prof. Metu’s rigorous analysis is that ending unfair exploitation is not a slogan; it is a project. And that project is now technically possible, regionally desirable, and geopolitically timely.Discover more insights from our distinguished guest on the Pan-African Frequency podcast, proudly brought to you by Sputnik Africa.To listen to the whole conversation, tune in to the Pan-African Frequency podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.► You can also listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Afripods, and Podcast Addict► Check out all the episodes of Pan-African Frequency
africa
nigeria
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
2026
Adeola Oyewole
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07e9/06/1e/1074889850_174:0:748:574_100x100_80_0_0_8f9b883efa50c8a20c5d57c79b195d1a.jpg
Adeola Oyewole
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07e9/06/1e/1074889850_174:0:748:574_100x100_80_0_0_8f9b883efa50c8a20c5d57c79b195d1a.jpg
News
en_EN
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
Adeola Oyewole
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07e9/06/1e/1074889850_174:0:748:574_100x100_80_0_0_8f9b883efa50c8a20c5d57c79b195d1a.jpg
sputnik africa, africa, podcasts, african union (au), nigeria, bola tinubu, exploitation, minerals, lithium, cobalt, african continental free trade area (afcfta), pan-africanism, multipolarity, аудио
sputnik africa, africa, podcasts, african union (au), nigeria, bola tinubu, exploitation, minerals, lithium, cobalt, african continental free trade area (afcfta), pan-africanism, multipolarity, аудио
More Than Digging — Can Africa Finally Own Its Mineral Wealth?
Why has Africa remained trapped in exporting raw minerals while importing finished goods? This episode dissects the structural barriers to local beneficiation, the leverage of the continent in the global scramble, and the regional strategies that could finally turn political declarations into processing plants and shared prosperity.
Africa’s critical minerals fuel the world’s green transition, yet the continent remains locked into exporting raw materials. A chunk of Congolese cobalt that leaves the continent for a few dollars returns as a battery worth thousands. A ton of Namibia’s lithium powers a European electric vehicle while the community that mined it grapples with energy poverty. But recently, in a landmark address to the African Minerals Strategy Group, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for an end to the unfair exploitation of Africa’s critical minerals. In this episode, development economist Prof. Amaka Metu, Professor of Development and Energy Economics in the Department of Economics, at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, and a Facilitator at the National Open University of Nigeria, dissects President Tinubu’s call to end exploitation, the real barriers to beneficiation, and the Pan-African strategies that could finally turn rhetoric into refineries.
“African countries have limited bargaining power when negotiating with large multinational corporations and major global economies. And you know that when countries negotiate individually or separately, they will end up competing with each other. Because they are going to, in their efforts to attract investors, now offer concessions that will reduce their taxes. There will be weaker regulations. So, this idea of the African Mineral Strategic Group, as well as the African Union, enables African countries to establish a common principle that is needed for mineral development, that is needed for value addition, that is needed for fair investment practices, as well as an environmental standard. The strength lies not just in bargaining as an individual economy but rather in bargaining collectively [...] This call from Bola Ahmed Tinubu will give Africa one voice. They will speak as one voice and also negotiate as partners in securing better agreements, in attracting high-quality investments, and then also ensure that the continent's mineral resources will, at the end of the day, drive industrialization, because that is the main aim of that call,” the professor indicated.
The central takeaway from Prof. Metu’s rigorous analysis is that ending unfair exploitation is not a slogan; it is a project. And that project is now technically possible, regionally desirable, and geopolitically timely.
Discover more insights from our distinguished guest on
the Pan-African Frequency podcast, proudly brought to you by
Sputnik Africa.
To listen to the whole conversation, tune in to the
Pan-African Frequency podcast, brought to you by
Sputnik Africa.In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on
Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of Pan-African Frequency 
