Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has urged the Federal Government to impose a total ban on the export of unprocessed raw materials, saying that Nigeria’s mineral wealth should be processed locally to maximise value for the country.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Gumi said that “If Nigeria truly wants to derive maximum value from its natural resources, it should consider a total ban on exporting unprocessed raw materials.” He added that any company seeking access to Nigerian resources must establish refining, processing and secondary industries within the country. The cleric, based in Kaduna, highlighted that the policy should cover the entire resource sector, including petroleum, especially now that Nigeria operates both public and private refineries.
Gumi’s call aligns with the government’s push for value‑addition. The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has promoted a 30 % Value‑Addition Bill that would require at least 30 % local processing before minerals can be exported, thereby encouraging investment in domestic processing plants and job creation. In August 2025, the government also imposed a six‑month ban on the export of raw shea nuts, aiming to transform Nigeria from an exporter of raw nuts into a global supplier of refined shea butter and derivatives.
Beyond economic arguments, Gumi linked the policy to national sovereignty and foreign relations. He warned that cooperation with any nation that “falsely accuses Nigerian Muslims of committing genocide against Christians and seeks to deepen divisions by provoking religious conflict” should be reconsidered, asserting that such a country should be among the last to benefit from Nigeria’s strategic mineral resources.
“Nigeria should leverage its natural resources in line with our national interest, sovereignty, and the principles of mutual respect and non‑interference in our internal affairs,” Gumi said, calling for a strategy that keeps more value within the Nigerian economy, creates jobs, and expands the tax base.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
