Johannesburg: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a global framework that benefits communities hosting critical minerals in Nigeria and across Africa, ensuring value addition at the source. This is coming just as Nigeria also backed the creation of global ethical standards for Artificial Intelligence (AI), aimed at accelerating development across the world.
According to Voice of Nigeria, President Tinubu made the call at the third session of the 2025 Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit, held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, South Africa, themed ‘A Fair and Just Future for All: Critical Minerals, Decent Work, Artificial Intelligence.’ The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, disclosed that for Nigeria and Africa, critical minerals hold the promise of industrial transformation for the continent.
The Nigerian leader stressed 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. President Tinubu emphasised responsible extraction and trade to ensure that wealth generated from hosting communities translates into shared progress. He called for a global framework promoting value addition at the source and supporting local beneficiaries, ensuring that communities hosting these resources are not left behind.
He further stated that as the world advances through green and digital transitions, progress must remain people-centred. ‘Decent work is the anchor that makes these transitions fair, inclusive, and sustainable. It is the foundation of development that ensures every person has the opportunity to contribute, thrive, and share in national prosperity,’ he added. Nigeria, through the Renewed Hope Agenda, is investing in future-ready skills by empowering Nigerian youths through digital literacy, vocational training, and entrepreneurship.
On artificial intelligence, which has immense potential to accelerate development globally, President Tinubu stated the task before G20 leaders is to ensure AI remains a servant of humanity, not a force reshaping society at the expense of those it ought to uplift. ‘Nigeria supports the creation of global ethical standards for AI that uphold safety, transparency, and equity,’ he said, adding, ‘We must ensure AI becomes a tool of empowerment, not exclusion; of job creation, not displacement.’
To harness AI’s job creation and empowerment potential, the President called for deliberate partnerships between developed and developing nations, the public and private sectors, and between innovation and inclusion. ‘The G20 must therefore address systemic bias and foster sustained multilateral dialogue to ensure the benefits of AI are shared equitably and its risks responsibly managed,’ he said.
President Tinubu urged the G20 leaders 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. He also called for an equitable and responsive system to manage global financial flows and address recurring debt crises that meet the needs of all nations. He noted that many developing countries still grapple with systemic barriers restraining economic growth, weakening trade, and limiting financial inclusivity.
The Nigerian leader, represented by Vice President Shettima, regretted that current multilateral frameworks no longer reflect the complexities of the present world. He demanded a fair deal for Africa and other developing countries, stating, ‘For trade to be truly inclusive, the G20 must take bold and deliberate steps towards reforming the international financial architecture and the global institutions that sustain it.’
He concluded by noting that rising debt burdens continue to drag economies back into cycles of fragility, transforming local difficulties into global vulnerabilities. He implored the G20 to place debt sustainability and the responsible utilisation of critical minerals at the heart of its agenda for inclusive development.