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African leaders urge mineral processing and UN Security Council reform
During the 81st UN General Assembly, several African leaders addressed critical issues regarding economic sovereignty, security, and institutional reform. A primary theme was the push for mineral value addition. Leaders from Eswatini, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, alongside Ghana’s President Mahama, urged a shift from exporting raw materials to establishing local industrial processing to ensure the continent captures more economic value from its critical minerals.
To support this transition, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced a new Country Support Mechanism on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. This initiative will provide policy and regulatory assistance to resource-rich nations, including Nigeria, Guinea, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and Indonesia, to help them build sustainable mineral value chains.
In terms of institutional reform, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for a radical restructuring of the UN Security Council. He demanded at least two permanent seats for Africa, including veto power, arguing that the current power distribution is an obsolete reflection of 1945.
Security concerns were also highlighted by Liberia’s President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, who appealed for international cooperation to combat transnational drug trafficking and maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea. Additionally, Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to a $5 billion global education financing campaign aimed at supporting low-income countries.
Entities
Africa Minerals Strategy Group · African Continental Free Trade Area · Antonio Guterres · Bola Ahmed Tinubu · Bola Tinubu · Dele Alake · John Dramani Mahama · Kashim Shettima · Nigeria · United Nations · United Nations General Assembly
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] President Julius Maada Bio called for increased investment in transport, energy, and logistics to support mineral processing. gleanersl.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The UN launched a Country Support Mechanism on Critical Energy Transition Minerals to assist Nigeria, Guinea, Indonesia, Madagascar, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. nannews.ng · africa.businessinsider.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] President Joseph Nyuma Boakai requested international assistance for coast guard surveillance and port-security technologies to combat drug trafficking. liberianewsnetwork.com · smartnewsliberia.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Vice-President Kashim Shettima urged African countries to develop bankable projects to attract investment into mineral manufacturing. idomavoice.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Eswatini is expanding strategic investments in industrialisation and mining. eswatinipositivenews.online
- [○ 1 SOURCE] King Mswati III proposed a regional trading hub for precious and rare earth minerals at the UN General Assembly. eswatinipositivenews.online
- [● 3 SOURCES] President John Dramani Mahama called for African leaders to ensure mineral wealth translates into local economic value rather than raw material export. ghanaguardian.com · starrfm.com.gh · www.myjoyonline.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Nigeria is demanding at least two permanent seats for Africa on the UN Security Council, including veto power. www.naijanews.com · www.premiumtimesng.com · thewhistler.ng · www.thisdaylive.com