Africa Won’t Allow a New Scramble for Its Resources – Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has called for greater African control over critical minerals, local processing and value addition to prevent a repeat of colonial-era exploitation.
- Africa must control its resources
- Mahama demands local mineral processing
- AfCFTA key to industrial growth
President John Dramani Mahama has warned that Africa will not allow its natural resources to be exploited under a new scramble for critical minerals.
Speaking at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, President Mahama said African countries must take greater control of the processing and value creation of their natural resources.
“Africa will not remain a passive arena for a new scramble for resources. Critical mineral extraction in Africa must not replicate the colonial era exploitation,” he said.
President Mahama stressed the need for African countries to move beyond exporting raw materials and develop local industries capable of processing minerals, creating jobs and retaining more value within the continent.
“We’ll process our minerals at home. We will build local industries that create dignified jobs for our youth and will retain the value of our natural resources in Africa,” he said.
He said Africa has significant resources, including critical minerals, vast arable land and a young population, which could support the continent’s economic transformation.
The President also highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key tool for promoting intra-African trade, industrialisation and structural transformation.
He further called for reforms to the global economic system, citing unfair trade practices, resource extraction, discriminatory credit ratings and unsustainable debt burdens as challenges facing developing countries.
