Nigeria Urged to Pivot from Raw Mineral Exports to Green Industrialisation at Abuja Stakeholder Conference

Nigeria must urgently move beyond exporting raw minerals to build local industries and secure jobs through critical solid minerals investments, according to Dr Olumide Abimbola, Executive Director of the Africa Policy Research Institute. Speaking in Abuja at the opening of a High-Level Stakeholders Conference on Advancing Nigeria's Green Industrialisation Through Critical Minerals, Abimbola outlined the necessity of domestic value addition. The conference was organized by APRI in partnership with the National Council on Climate Change and the Ford Foundation, drawing attention to the pressing demands of global energy and digital transitions.

The global demand for transition minerals such as copper, lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earth elements has intensified amid shifting geopolitical tensions and supply chain concerns. Abimbola noted that governments across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Gulf are actively drafting critical mineral strategies and forging new partnerships. APRI's own mapping of Africa's green mineral partnerships has identified nearly one hundred agreements involving African nations and international partners over the past decade, underscoring the urgent need for African economies to dictate the terms of resource extraction and industrial integration.

Building sustainable domestic capacity requires attracting substantial investments into power, infrastructure, and manufacturing while ensuring local businesses and mining communities participate meaningfully in the value chain. Abimbola warned against substituting one extractive model for another, emphasizing that exporting raw minerals while processing and manufacturing value occur abroad cannot remain the nation's ambition. APRI's ongoing work through its flagship development agenda and roadmap projects for Nigeria's critical minerals strategy actively engages actors across five mineral rich states to address institutional, policy, and governance frameworks.

Dr Omotenioye Majekodunmi, Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change, reinforced the imperative for deliberate domestic capacity building, stressing that the goal must center on creating Nigerian value rather than merely increasing mining volumes. Majekodunmi underscored that green minerals must be extracted through genuinely clean processes, noting that global scrutiny regarding carbon footprints and traceability makes responsible production vital for international market access. She added that because government financing alone cannot support the required processing plants and clean power infrastructure, the NCCC remains focused on aligning climate commitments with capital flows.

Why This Matters

The strategic push for value addition addresses the fundamental structural vulnerabilities of resource-dependent economies by shifting focus from primary commodity exports to secondary manufacturing and technology integration. By prioritizing domestic processing, African nations can insulate themselves against the severe external shocks and currency volatility traditionally associated with raw material export cycles. Capturing economic value locally transforms the foundational role of the continent in global supply chains, ensuring that the wealth generated from the green transition directly supports regional industrialization and long-term economic resilience.

Furthermore, aligning green industrial policy with rigorous environmental safeguards and transparent carbon markets mitigates regulatory and compliance risks in international trade. As global markets enforce stricter traceability requirements and carbon border adjustments, proactive domestic standards protect export competitiveness. Ensuring that mining communities share tangibly in these economic gains also reduces social friction and operational disruption, creating a stable, predictable operating environment for long-term investors and industrial operators.

Opportunities

• Industrial Contractors: Opportunities to design, engineer, and construct domestic mineral processing plants, refining facilities, and supporting clean power infrastructure across mineral-rich states.
• Project Financiers: Openings to structure green finance vehicles, climate funds, and public-private partnerships that channel capital into certified, low-carbon extraction and manufacturing projects.
• Technology Integrators: Commercial prospects to deploy digital traceability solutions, environmental monitoring systems, and advanced data infrastructure to satisfy international supply chain compliance.
• Policy and ESG Consultants: Demand for advisory services helping operators align with National Council on Climate Change frameworks, community rights protocols, and emerging carbon market standards.

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