Africa Should Shift from Exporting Unprocessed Goods and Instead Focus on Local Production — Shettima

Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, has emphasized that African nations must reclaim their position as key players in controlling the continent's resources and shaping global trade dynamics, during a visit to Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on Friday.

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Shettima's remarks were made while touring and assessing the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone, where he underscored the need for Africa to harness its vast natural resources by developing industries that can process raw materials into higher-value products.

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The vice president assured that Nigeria's renewed industrialisation drive would be inclusive, with the Federal Government collaborating with subnational governments to ensure no region is left behind.

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Shettima expressed admiration for Benin's efforts to achieve mass production and export of locally sourced resources, highlighting the potential for Africa to benefit from its own resources.

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He lamented that Africa currently benefits from only about one per cent of the global cotton industry, which is valued at 370 billion dollars, emphasizing the need for the continent to increase its share.

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According to Shettima, reviving Nigeria's textile value chain could create millions of jobs, boost non-oil exports, and stimulate economic activities across the country.

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After inspecting facilities for cotton, textile, cashew, and soya bean oil production at the industrial zone, Shettima expressed his satisfaction with the progress made.

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The vice president stated that his visit was undertaken at the behest of President Tinubu, as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda, to learn from global best practices and peer-review experiences.

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Shettima noted that the visit would enable Nigeria to draw lessons from Benin's experience in creating integrated value chains for cotton, cashew, and soya bean, which could be replicated in Nigeria.

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The vice president announced that Nigeria is setting up eight agro-industrial zones in eight states, citing the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone as an African success story with a whole chain of value addition in cotton, cashew, and soya bean value chains.

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Shettima assured that the lessons learned from the visit would be replicated in Nigeria, as the Federal Government remains focused on making Nigeria one of the world's industrialised nations under President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.

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The vice president was briefed on the structure, production capacity, and investment potential of the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone by Benin's Minister of Tourism and Foreign Trade.

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During the visit, the delegation inspected integrated textile and agro-processing facilities, where locally produced cotton is transformed into yarn, fabric, and finished garments, as well as facilities processing cashew and other agricultural commodities.

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The visit was part of Nigeria's efforts to draw practical lessons from Benin's success in linking agriculture with manufacturing and to attract private investment to transform raw materials into higher-value finished products.

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Shettima was accompanied on the visit by the governors of Kwara, Imo, Katsina, Plateau, Zamfara, and Jigawa states.