The Federal Government of Nigeria is about to launch its ‘Africans for Africa’ Fund, a new financing programme that is designed to support African-led investment that will revolutionize Africa’s mining and natural resources sectors. The announcement was made in advance of the 2025 African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS), scheduled to be held in Abuja from July 15–17.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake stated that the Fund is meant to mobilize capital within the continent to drive industrialization, resource beneficiation and benefit strategic investments along the solid minerals value chain. Dr. Alake was represented by the Director General of the Mining Cadastre Office, Obadiah Nkom who explained that this is not just a slogan but a shift in mindsets that requires Africans to invest in African priorities.
From Advocacy to Action: AFNIS 2025 Takes the Lead
Since its launch in 2022, AFNIS has emerged into Africa’s premier investment platform. The 2024 edition which launched the “Africans for Africa” narrative, attracted over 1,000 stakeholders and created tangible investment agreements. The 2025 edition builds on this foundation and includes a Ministerial and CEO Retreat, a Strategic Partnership Summit and a Technical and Investment Forum focusing on ESG, critical minerals and agriculture-mining integration.
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A Vision for African-Led Growth
The slogan of the summit “Harnessing Local Content for Sustainable Development” suggests a change of conversation from exporting raw materials to value added production. Dr. Alake reiterated that Africa can no longer export raw materials, it must now build factories, process minerals and create jobs. The Fund will allow Nigeria and other African countries to showcase their reforms such as local processing initiatives, community development agreements and the launch of a national mineral data system (NMRDSS).
In the end, ‘Africans for Africa’ Fund represents a strong case for self-reliance and a new chapter in African resource development led, owned and funded by Africans.
