*Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu urges G20 leaders at a forum in South Africa to deepen collaborations on technology transfer, capacity building, and inclusive investments towards building a future where Africa is not merely a supplier of raw materials, but a continent of value creation, innovation, and dignity in work

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged G20 leaders to deepen collaboration on technology transfer, capacity building, and inclusive investments that prioritise human dignity over profit alone.

绿帽献妻 reports President Tinubu states this in his address at the 3rd Session of the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders鈥� Summit 2025, held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, in South Africa.

The theme of this year’s summit is: 鈥淎 Fair and Just Future for All: Critical Minerals, Decent Work, Artificial Intelligence鈥�.

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Represented at the event by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, GCON, the Nigerian leader averred that the task before G20 leaders, development partners, and governments is to ensure that Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains a servant of humanity.

Tinubu said AI should not become a force that reshapes society at the expense of those it ought to uplift.

He, therefore, advised the G20 leaders and partners to build a future where Africa is not merely a supplier of raw materials, but a continent of value creation, innovation, and dignity in work.

On managing global financial flows

Likewise, the President urged the G20 leaders to evolve a more equitable and responsive system to manage global financial flows, and sincerely address the recurring debt crises in a manner that meets the needs of all economies of the world.

Tinubu explained this has become necessary because several developing countries still grapple with systemic barriers, restraining economic growth, weakening trade, and limiting financial inclusivity in their economies.

The Nigerian leader, however, lamented that the multilateral frameworks, currently being relied on, no longer reflect the complexities of the current global world.

According to him, such frameworks were 鈥渂uilt in an era far removed from鈥� the present challenges.

Advocacy for minerals to benefit host communities

Tinubu advocated a global framework that benefits communities hosting critical minerals in Nigeria and Africa, ensuring value addition for communities at the source .

The President also noted that for Nigeria and Africa, critical minerals are more than natural deposits, as they hold the promise of industrial transformation for the African continent.

He emphasised that relevant authorities and stakeholders must ensure that the extraction and trade of critical minerals are governed by fairness, transparency, and accountability.

Such responsible extraction and trade, he stated, are necessary to ensure that the wealth generated from hosting communities translates into shared progress for the people.

Tinubu asserted: “Nigeria calls for a global framework that promotes value addition at the source, supports local beneficiation, and ensures that communities hosting these resources are not left behind.

“The issue before us reaches far beyond the narrow arithmetic of economics and speaks to the moral character of the world we aspire to build.鈥�

As the world advances through green and digital transitions, progress must remain people-centred, Tinubu declared.

He further said: 鈥淒ecent work is the anchor that makes these transitions fair, inclusive, and sustainable.

“It is the foundation of development that ensures every person has the opportunity to contribute, thrive, and share in national prosperity. 鈥�

Objectives of Renewed Hope Agenda in Nigeria

Tinubu said through his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is investing in future-ready skills by empowering the youths through digital literacy, vocational training, and entrepreneurship.

He stated: “Nigeria supports the creation of global ethical standards for AI that uphold safety, transparency, and equity.

“We must ensure that AI becomes a tool of empowerment, not exclusion; of job creation, not displacement.”

The Nigerian President solicited deliberate partnerships between developed and developing economies, between the public and private sectors, and between innovation and inclusion.

Tinubu averred: “The G20 must, therefore, address systemic bias and foster sustained multilateral dialogue to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared equitably and its risks responsibly managed. 鈥�

Insight into inclusive global trade

Explaining the debt crisis affecting developing countries, President Tinubu said: 鈥淔or trade to be truly inclusive, the G20 must take bold and deliberate steps towards reforming the international financial architecture, and the global institutions that sustain it.

He noted: 鈥淥nly a more equitable and more responsive system can manage global financial flows with fairness, address recurring debt crises with sincerity and meet the needs of all nations.

“Especially those in the Global South who have too often stood at the margins of global opportunity.鈥�

The President said it would be difficult for Africa to realise a positive paradigm shift 鈥渋n its development trajectory without a collective resolve of the G20. 鈥�

The African continent cannot rise on the wings of aspiration alone without confronting the persistent regional challenges confronting it, said he.

Tinubu noted: “Particularly, the urgent need for sustainable financing to ensure the effective implementation of our developmental priorities.鈥�

He equally observed that rising debt burdens have continued 鈥渢o drag economies back into cycles of fragility,鈥� transforming 鈥渓ocal difficulties into global vulnerabilities.鈥�

Tinubu, therefore, implored the G20 to place debt sustainability and the responsible utilisation of critical minerals at the heart of its agenda for inclusive development.

“The G20 must, in adopting the Leaders鈥� Declaration, take with utmost seriousness the responsibility to advance policies that drive sustainable growth, promote financial inclusion and confront emerging risks.鈥�

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