‘We will process our minerals at home’ – Mahama warns against scramble for Africa’s resources

President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned that Africa will no longer remain a passive arena for the exploitation of its natural resources.

He has called for the continent to take greater control of its critical minerals and retain more value from their extraction.

He said African countries must move beyond the export of raw materials and develop local industries capable of processing their resources, creating jobs and driving industrial transformation.

Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, Mr Mahama said Africa's vast mineral resources must be used to advance the continent's economic development rather than reproduce patterns associated with colonial-era resource extraction.

“Let me warn: Africa will not remain a passive arena for a new scramble for resources. Critical mineral extraction in Africa must not replicate the colonial era expectation,” he said.

“We will process our minerals at home. We will build local industries that create dignified jobs for our youth and retain the value of our natural resources in Africa,” he added.

Mr Mahama said Africa possessed critical minerals needed to drive the global transition to green energy, alongside a large and youthful population, vast arable land and significant cultural resources.

He argued that these resources gave the continent an opportunity to pursue a more equitable economic relationship with the rest of the world, anchored in mutual respect and partnership rather than dependency.

The President also called for reforms to the global financial architecture, saying developing countries and countries in the Global South often borrow at significantly higher interest rates than industrialised economies.

He urged the international community to provide long-term, affordable and accessible concessional financing to enable developing countries to invest in human capital, industrialisation and climate adaptation.

The 81st UN General Assembly is being held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All”, with the General Debate running from September 22 to 28.