Abuja: The fourth edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) is set to explore strategies to promote local industrialisation in Africa by leveraging local content. This announcement was made by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, during a news conference in Abuja. Dr Alake was represented by Mr Obadiah Nkom, the Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr Alake emphasized that the summit, scheduled from July 15 to 17 in Abuja, will operate under the theme ‘Harnessing Local Content for Sustainable Development.’ The summit aims to highlight how Africa, which possesses 30 percent of the world’s solid mineral resources, can use them to foster sustainable development. The theme underscores Africa’s commitment to move beyond rhetoric and start transforming its mineral wealth through local production and value addition.
The minister, serving as the Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, highlighted the importance of driving the conversation, especially since the continent holds critical minerals essential for the global energy transition. He stressed the significance of moving away from exporting raw materials and instead focusing on building factories, refining minerals, generating power locally, and creating jobs within Africa. The summit will address how Africa can convert its vast raw materials into value-added products like batteries, solar equipment, fertilizers, and industrial metals.
On the topic of energy transition, discussions will center on leveraging renewables and gas to develop energy solutions that are clean, reliable, and affordable for African communities. The summit will also explore cross-sector integration, coordinating mining, agriculture, petrochemicals, and energy for sustainable growth. Additionally, policy and financing discussions will focus on crafting laws, incentives, and investment models that attract substantial capital.
The minister noted that the summit will build on the achievements of the 2024 summit, particularly the ‘Africans for Africa Initiative,’ which aims to drive local development within the region. A significant highlight of the 2025 summit will be the unveiling of the ‘Africans for Africa Fund,’ designed to mobilize African capital for African priorities, providing microcredit facilities to mining operators.
Furthermore, the summit presents an opportunity for Nigeria, as the host country, to showcase its progress under the Renewed Hope Agenda. This includes updates on reforms in the solid minerals sector, local processing initiatives, community development agreements, and the rollout of a mineral data platform. Nigeria is taking new steps to attract responsible investment and ensure that mining benefits all stakeholders, which will be presented at the summit.
The 2025 edition will also feature a Ministerial and Chief Executive Officers Retreat, a Strategic Partnership Summit, and a Technical and Investment Forum. These events will bring together experts and innovators to discuss critical topics such as critical minerals and agriculture-mining linkages.