Africa Must Benefit from Its Minerals, Says Bio

President Julius Maada Bio has called on the G20 to establish a G20–Africa Compact on Critical Minerals, during his address at the 2025 Summit in Johannesburg.

The compact, he said, would ensure fairness, value addition, and transparency in the global clean-energy transition.

President Bio stressed that Africa holds nearly one-third of the world’s critical minerals, essential for renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.

Sierra Leone contributes with its reserves of iron ore, rutile, bauxite, and diamonds. He warned that without new frameworks, African nations risk continuing to supply raw materials while capturing minimal economic benefits.

“For too long, our resources have powered global industries while our nations captured the least value. This generation must break that cycle,” President Bio said.

He proposed that the compact would promote transparent contracts, local processing, fair revenue models, and job creation. He emphasized that Africa must refine and process its minerals to drive economic transformation.

President Bio also addressed broader challenges, including rising debt, slowing global growth, and climate impacts. He called for accelerated debt restructuring, expanded Special Drawing Rights, and a West Africa Climate Adaptation Acceleration Facility to protect food security, energy, and coastal areas.

On technology, he stressed that ethical and equitable access to AI is critical to ensure Africa benefits from global innovation.

Closing his speech, President Bio urged G20 leaders to commit to a development compact that promotes fairness and shared prosperity, framing the initiative as a historic opportunity to correct historical imbalances and secure a just future for Africa.