By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has called on West African countries to stop exporting raw minerals, saying it is time to focus on adding value locally through processing, manufacturing, and innovation.

Speaking at the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja on Saturday, Tinubu said the region must end the “pit-to-port” model where minerals are taken straight from the ground and shipped abroad.

The President, who is also the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, stressed that being rich in resources is not enough if West Africa fails to develop local industries.

He warned that intraregional trade remains under 10 per cent, not due to lack of will, but due to poor coordination.

He said, “The era of warm pit to the port must end. We must turn our mineral wealth into domestic economic value, jobs, technology, and manufacturing.

“To be resource-rich is not enough; we must become value chain smart and invest in local processing and regional manufacturing.

“Opportunity alone does not guarantee transformation. The global economy will not wait for West Africa to get its hands together, nor should we.

“Rather than competing in isolation or relying on external partners, we must strengthen our regional value chain, invest in infrastructure, and coordinate our policies,” he said.

The president also pointed out that the region’s large youth population is its biggest strength, but only if properly empowered.

He said, “Our prosperity depends on regional supply chains, energy networks, and data frameworks. We must design them together, or they will collapse separately.

“From the Lagos to Abidjan highway and the West African Power Pool to creative industry initiatives, our joint projects show what’s possible when we work together. But we must move from declarations to concrete deals, from policy frameworks to practical implementation,” Tinubu said.

He warned that Africa must not be left behind again in the next wave of industrial revolutions.

“Europe left Africa behind in previous industrial revolutions. We cannot afford to be left behind again. Rare minerals power tomorrow’s technologies, but that alone is not enough. We must unleash our people’s entrepreneurial spirit, supported by market-friendly policies and the rule of law,” he said.

President Tinubu ended his speech by calling for clear steps to boost development.

“Let us build a West Africa that is investable, competitive, and resilient, one that leads with vision. We must ease doing business, enhance trade, improve infrastructure connectivity, and develop innovative ideas that move our people from poverty to prosperity,” he added.

The summit attracted leaders from Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, The Gambia, Benin, Togo, and Guinea-Bissau ahead of the 67th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS scheduled to hold on Sunday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.