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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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