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Guterres calls for end to Africa’s mineral wealth shipped overseas
Sunday 20th September, 2026 08:16 PM|
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an end to the practice of exporting Africa’s critical minerals for processing abroad, saying the continent should retain more of the value created from its natural re
Guterres said Africa’s minerals should be used to create jobs and support industries on the continent rather than being shipped overseas for processing
“We must ensure that Africa’s vast natural redecent jobs, rather than simply being shipped overseas. No more plundering,” he said
He was speaking on Sunday, September 20, 2026, during the fifth annual Unstoppable Africa gathering of the Global Africa Business Initiative in New York, where he joined African Union Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and business leaders, investors and policymakers
Guterres said Africa was entering a period in which its remic activity within the continent
Africa accounts for 30 per cent of the world’s mineral reorce is the fastest-growing globally
The continent also has a $3 trillion market opportunity and a growing generation of entrepreneurs and innovators
“The shift you long envisioned is taking place: from doing business in Africa, to doing business with Africa,” he said
He cited developments in several countries, including Kenya’s generation of more than 90 per cent of its electricity from renewablepe, Tunisia’s growth in artificial intelligence and Rwanda’s use of drones for deliveries
Nigeria, South Africa and Senegal were also cited for their growing global cultural exports
The UN chief said Africa’s economic progress was taking place despite global disruptions, with the continent’s economy expanding by 4.4 per cent last year
He said fintech was attracting a large share of investment capital, while the African Continental Free Trade Area was on track for $230 billion in trade this year
However, Guterres said rising tariffs, competition for critical minerals and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East were increasing the cost of fertilisers, food and fuel
He called for a shift away from economies that depend heavily on exporting raw materials towards industries that create more value locally, particularly through clean energy and economic diversification
Guterres also renewed calls for reforms to the international financial system, saying multilateral development banks should be better positioned to mobilise private capital and support developing economies
He called for climate finance to match commitments on both mitigation and adaptation, while urging greater investment in young people and women, who own more than half of businesses in Africa but receive only a fraction of investment
Guterres said peace and political stability were necessary for Africa to realise its economic potential
He said African countries should take greater ownership of mediation efforts and reiterated calls for the continent to have permanent representation on the UN Security Council
Guterres described Africa as a “double victim of colonialism”, saying the continent had first experienced colonial rule and was later largely absent from the negotiations that shaped postwar international institutions
“Africa’s growth serves Africa’s people first and foremost, and secures the future they deserve,” he said. He concluded that a stronger and more prosperous Africa would have implications beyond the continent. “A rising Africa is a rising world.”
Faith Lagat
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