By Zainab Bakare
Nigeria has called on African countries to mobilise domestic resources, strengthen strategic autonomy and prioritise local processing of minerals to drive economic growth.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call at the Berlin Global Dialogue 2026, where he outlined Nigeria’s vision for a new model of engagement between Africa and the rest of the world.
Speaking at discussions on trade, technology, geopolitical power, infrastructure and investment, Enikanolaiye say Africa’s development must be driven by its own priorities, with international partnerships based on mutual respect and shared prosperity.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Digital Media and Public Diplomacy to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Raphael Oni, the minister stresses that foreign investment should complement, rather than replace, domestic resources.
He also called for an end to the export of raw minerals without local processing, saying investors should establish processing industries in host countries while complying with environmental standards and protecting local communities.
On infrastructure, Enikanolaiye identify reliable electricity, efficient transport systems and digital connectivity as essential to expanding production and creating opportunities for Africa’s growing youth population.
He says African financial institutions, including the African Export-Import Bank and the African Development Bank, have important roles to play in providing guarantees and blended financing to attract investment into viable projects.
The minister also highlight the need to increase trade among African countries, improve technical education and reform international credit-rating systems to support the continent’s development ambitions.
On the sidelines of the dialogue, the Nigerian delegation, led by Enikanolaiye and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, held engagements at Nigeria House in Berlin on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
Enikanolaiye and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Senator Ita Enang, also met Lesotho’s Foreign Minister, Limpho Justice Tau, to discuss stronger bilateral relations and the possibility of establishing a Lesotho diplomatic presence in Abuja.
Tau commend Nigeria’s role in Africa’s liberation struggles and invited Nigerian industrialists, including the Dangote Group, to explore investment opportunities in Lesotho.
