As world leaders converge on New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is once again absent from the gathering, with Vice President Kashim Shettima representing Nigeria.
Tinubu’s absence has renewed public discussion in Nigeria, particularly coming after his decision to extend his stay in Europe, where he has been on his annual working vacation.
The President’s decision not to attend the UN gathering has also revived rumours circulating in some quarters that he may be avoiding the United States because of an alleged case or possible legal exposure there.
However, no evidence has been presented to establish the claim that Tinubu faces arrest in the United States, making the speculation a matter of public rumour rather than an established fact.
For many Nigerians watching events from home, the President’s absence has raised questions about Nigeria’s visibility at one of the world’s most important diplomatic gatherings, even as the country continues to pursue its interests on the international stage through the Vice President and other senior officials.
Shettima, representing the President, has already taken Nigeria’s position on Africa’s mineral wealth to the global forum.
At the third High-Level Roundtable of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Shettima delivered Tinubu’s message calling for African mineral resources to translate into better lives and greater economic opportunities for the continent’s people.
The President called for stronger cooperation among African countries in mineral governance, local processing and value addition, with the aim of reducing the continent’s dependence on imported finished products.
He also challenged AMSG member countries to develop bankable projects capable of attracting investment, creating jobs and strengthening Africa’s position in the global mineral value chain.
The issue has a direct human dimension for millions of Africans whose livelihoods depend on the continent’s natural resources.
In Nigeria, for instance, the mining sector provides income for artisanal miners and their families, while communities hosting mineral deposits expect mining activities to bring jobs, infrastructure and economic opportunities rather than simply the removal of raw materials.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, highlighted the vulnerability of artisanal miners, calling for their formalisation to make mining safer and better regulated.
Alake expressed concern over the deaths of miners in mine-site collapses, stressing that artisanal miners should be integrated into a structured system instead of being treated solely as criminals.
Many of the miners, he noted, are breadwinners whose families depend on the income generated from mining.
Kenya’s Minister of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Hassan Ali Joho, also advocated greater sharing of geological and mineral data among African countries to strengthen the continent’s capacity to understand, manage and benefit from its mineral resources.
The Africa Minerals Strategy Group is an intergovernmental platform established to coordinate critical mineral policies, promote local value addition and advance sustainable mining development across Africa.
The New York meeting was attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, and Governors Babagana Zulum of Borno, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Nasir Idris of Kebbi and Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
African and global investors, alongside other stakeholders in the mining sector, also participated in the discussions.
While President Tinubu remains away from New York, Nigeria’s delegation is using the global platform to push issues around mineral wealth, investment and value addition—issues that could ultimately determine whether the continent’s vast natural resources translate into jobs, stronger local industries and improved livelihoods for ordinary Africans.
