Tayebwa Urges OACPS Nations to Halt Raw Mineral Exports, Focus on Local Processing

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has strongly urged member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to abandon the export of raw minerals. Speaking in Brussels while chairing a session of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Tayebwa emphasized that prioritizing local processing and value addition is essential for maximizing economic benefits from natural resources.

Tayebwa pointed out that while OACPS nations are major contributors to global mineral production—such as the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for 73 per cent of the world’s mined cobalt in 2015—many countries continue to miss out on full economic gains. He noted that growing global demand provides a vital opportunity to expand industrial production, create skilled employment, and strengthen domestic economies across nations like Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.

Highlighting challenges such as a reported 9 per cent decline in global critical mineral investment in 2025 according to the International Energy Agency, Tayebwa called for reliable energy, infrastructure, and affordable financing to build competitive processing industries. He urged parliamentarians to enhance transparency and ensure mineral revenues benefit local communities.

Echoing these sentiments, Tororo Municipality MP Shyam J. Tanna challenged European Union partners to support Africa’s value addition agenda rather than perpetuate raw exports. Tanna famously remarked that Africans “sleep on diamonds but wake up in poverty,” questioning how Europe’s 2030 domestic processing targets align with Africa’s industrialization aspirations. Read more details on the Nile Post.