Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to stop the export of raw, unprocessed materials from Nigeria and require foreign investors to establish processing facilities in the country.
Gumi said Nigeria’s mineral resources belong to its people and should be processed locally to generate greater economic value, create jobs and support industrial development.
According to him, foreign companies seeking access to Nigeria’s natural resources should be required to establish refineries, processing plants and related industries within the country rather than exporting raw materials for processing elsewhere.
He said the policy should apply across resource sectors, including the oil industry, arguing that Nigeria’s growing refining capacity provides an opportunity to reduce dependence on exporting crude and importing finished petroleum products.
Gumi also criticised the practice of exporting raw materials and importing finished goods, saying more domestic processing would help retain wealth within the Nigerian economy.
His comments come as the Federal Government continues to push for greater local value addition in the mining sector. The government has advocated moving away from exporting raw minerals towards local processing, manufacturing and the development of domestic value chains.
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council is also pushing legislation that would require a minimum level of local processing before certain minerals can be exported, according to reports.
Gumi further linked Nigeria’s resource policy to national sovereignty and foreign relations. He argued that countries he believes undermine Nigeria’s interests should not be given preferential access to the country’s strategic mineral resources.
He urged the government to use Nigeria’s natural resources to advance national interests while demanding mutual respect and non-interference in its dealings with other countries.
The cleric’s call comes amid renewed government and continental efforts to ensure African countries retain more economic value from their mineral resources through processing, manufacturing and other forms of value addition.
