By Obiabin Onukwugha
Nigeria has called for a global framework that benefits communities hosting critical minerals in Nigeria and Africa.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made the call at the Third Session of the 2025 G20 leaders’ summit, which held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, South Africa, under the theme: ‘A Fair and Just Future for All: Critical Minerals, Decent Work, Artificial Intelligence.’
Vice President Shettima stated that critical minerals are more than natural deposits, as they hold the promise of industrial transformation for the continent in Nigeria and Africa at large.
A statement on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, stated that while the possession of resources alone does not guarantee prosperity, relevant authorities and stakeholders must ensure that the extraction and trade of critical minerals are governed by fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Shettima noted that such responsible extraction and trade are necessary to ensure that the wealth generated from host communities translates into shared progress.
“Nigeria calls for a global framework that promotes value addition at the source, supports local beneficiation, and ensures that communities hosting these resources are not left behind.
“The issue before us reaches far beyond the narrow arithmetic of economics and speaks to the moral character of the world we aspire to build,” he said.
Shettima noted that Nigeria is investing in future-ready skills by empowering Nigerian youths through digital literacy, vocational training, and entrepreneurship, urging G20 leaders to deepen collaboration on technology transfer, capacity building, and inclusive investments that prioritise human dignity over profit alone.
“The G20 must therefore address systemic bias and foster sustained multilateral dialogue to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared equitably and its risks responsibly managed,” he said.
Shettima maintained that within a broader vision of shared responsibility and global stewardship, critical minerals, decent work, and artificial intelligence are bound by a single calling, which is to shape an economy that uplifts rather than excludes; an economy that measures its strength not only by growth but by the dignity it affords every human being.
He urged the G20 leaders and partners to build a future where Africa is not merely a supplier of raw materials, but a continent of value creation, innovation, and dignity in work.
