National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has called on African countries to end their dependence on exporting raw materials and instead focus on building industries that transform the continent’s natural resources into technology, innovation and greater economic value.

He said Africa’s abundant reserves of critical minerals should serve as a foundation for industrial development rather than continue to drive the growth of other economies that benefit more from the value created from the continent’s resources.

“The 21st century must not become another chapter in which Africa supplies strategic resources while others capture the greater share of the value they create,” he said.

“The continent must become an active participant in the industries, technologies and value chains that will define the future.”

Mr. Asiedu Nketia noted that the growing global competition for critical minerals and emerging markets presents Africa with a unique opportunity to reshape its economic future by investing in domestic manufacturing, innovation and sustainable development.

“My position remains firm: the 21st century must not become another chapter of raw material extraction. True power will come only when we possess the industrial capability to transform our resources into home-grown technology, knowledge and value,” he said.

He stressed that Africa’s strategic resources must no longer only support the ambitions of industrialised nations but should be used to create jobs, strengthen local industries and improve the livelihoods of people across the continent.

“The question before Africa is not whether the world is interested in our resources. Every nation pursues its interests. The real question is whether Africa will participate in this new era of global competition as an equal partner or merely as a supplier of inputs for the ambitions of others,” he said.

Mr. Asiedu Nketia further argued that political independence alone cannot guarantee prosperity, insisting that African nations must develop strong industrial capacities and economic institutions to translate sovereignty into sustainable growth.

“The unfinished task before us is to ensure that sovereignty is matched by capability and that freedom is matched by common prosperity,” he said.

The NDC Chairman made the remarks while speaking at the Third Meeting of the Standing Committee of the International Movement for the Freedom of Nations in Russia on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.