{
  "id": 9567903,
  "title": "Mahama: Africa will no longer export raw minerals without value addition",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/mahama-africa-will-no-longer-export-raw-minerals-without-value",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T14:26:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/mahama-africa-will-no-longer-export-raw-minerals-without-value-addition/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned that Africa will not permit the surge in demand for critical minerals to repeat the exploitative practices seen during the continent's colonial era. Speaking at the 81st United Nations General Assembly, President Mahama asserted that Africa's mineral wealth would increasingly be processed within the continent to drive industrialisation, generate employment, and foster economic growth. He emphasized that Africa does not seek aid, but rather seeks equitable partnerships based on mutual respect, highlighting the continent's youthful demographic, agricultural resources, cultural heritage, and abundance of critical minerals. The President underscored that while the global shift towards renewable energy is boosting the demand for Africa's critical minerals, African nations must ensure they reap substantial economic gains from their exploitation. He warned against Africa becoming a mere stage for a new resource scramble, emphasizing that mining activities must not replicate the exploitative tactics of the colonial period. Mahama stressed that African countries must engage in domestic processing of minerals, develop industries around their natural resources, and generate employment opportunities for the youth rather than exporting raw materials while benefits accrue elsewhere. He highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area, with its Secretariat based in Accra, as a crucial tool for enhancing intra-African trade and supporting industrial development. Mahama concluded by advocating for stronger collaboration among African nations and broader utilization of the regional market established by the AfCFTA to accelerate the continent's economic transformation.",
  "summary": "President John Dramani Mahama has warned that Africa will not allow the global push for critical minerals to reproduce the extractive patterns associated with the continent’s colonial past.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}