The Federal Government has proposed the establishment of a Lagos-Dakar minerals processing corridor aimed at unlocking Africa’s vast mineral wealth and promoting value addition across the continent.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, made the proposal during the Ministerial Forum on Critical Minerals, Value Chain and Beneficiation held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He said African countries must stop exporting raw minerals and instead work together to process and add value to their natural resources within the continent.
Alake explained that the proposed West African corridor, stretching from Lagos in Nigeria to Dakar in Senegal, would allow countries to share processing infrastructure, reduce investment costs, strengthen regional trade, and create more jobs. He also urged African nations to adopt common standards for mineral resource reporting and build stronger regional value chains.
The proposal received support from the African Development Bank, which reaffirmed its commitment to financing strategic mining projects, infrastructure development, and regional mineral value chains under the newly adopted Abidjan Declaration.
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