Shettima urges Africa to stop exporting raw materials

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Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called on African countries to take greater control of their natural resources and global trade by ending the export of raw materials and prioritising local processing and manufacturing.

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Shettima made the call on Friday in Cotonou, Benin Republic, during a tour of the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone, where he assessed integrated cotton, textile and agro-processing facilities.

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The Vice-President, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, said Africa could no longer afford to remain a supplier of raw materials to industries in other parts of the world while importing finished products made from its own resources.

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He maintained that the continent must maximise its vast natural endowments by developing industries capable of transforming raw materials into higher-value products, creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities.

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Shettima, said Nigeria’s renewed industrialisation drive would ensure that no region was left behind, with the Federal Government working in partnership with state governments to develop agro-industrial value chains.

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He expressed satisfaction with Benin’s efforts to achieve mass production and export of locally sourced resources, describing the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone as an example of how African countries could transform agriculture into a driver of industrial growth.

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The Vice-President regretted that Africa currently accounts for only about one per cent of the global cotton industry, valued at $370bn, despite the continent’s significant cotton production potential.

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He said 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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Shettima expressed satisfaction after inspecting facilities involved in the production of cotton, textiles, cashew and soya bean oil at the industrial zone.

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“We are here essentially at the behest of President Tinubu, in the spirit of his Renewed Hope Agenda, to see and peer-review global best practices,” he said.

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The Vice-President said the visit would enable Nigeria to draw practical lessons from Benin’s experience in developing integrated value chains for cotton, cashew and soya bean.

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“We are setting up eight agro-industrial zones in eight states in our country,” he said.

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He added that the GDIZ represented “an African success story where there is a whole chain of value addition in cotton, cashew and soya bean value chains.”

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“Be rest assured that we have learnt a lot of lessons through this visit, and we are going to replicate a lot of that in Nigeria,” Shettima said.

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The Vice-President said the Federal Government remained committed to positioning Nigeria among the world’s leading industrialised nations under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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During the visit, Shettima was briefed on the structure, production capacity and investment potential of the industrial zone by Benin’s Minister of Tourism and Foreign Trade.

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The Nigerian delegation also inspected integrated textile and agro-processing facilities where locally produced cotton is transformed into yarn, fabric and finished garments.

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The delegation further toured facilities processing cashew and other agricultural commodities for domestic consumption and export.

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The visit formed part of Nigeria’s efforts to draw practical lessons from Benin’s experience in linking agriculture with manufacturing, attracting private investment and transforming raw materials into higher-value products.

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

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