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Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to place a total ban on the export of unprocessed raw materials.
Gumi noted that the nation’s mineral resources are for Nigerians and must be processed locally to create maximum value.
“If Nigeria truly wants to derive maximum value from its natural resources, it should consider a total ban on exporting unprocessed raw materials.
“Any country or company seeking access to Nigeria’s resources should be required to establish refining, processing, and secondary industries within Nigeria,” he said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The Kaduna-based cleric said the policy should apply across the resource sector, including petroleum, particularly now that Nigeria has both public and private refineries.
“Rather than exporting raw materials and importing finished products, Nigeria should process its resources domestically, create jobs, develop industries, expand the tax base, and retain far greater value within the Nigerian economy,” he added.
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Gumi’s submission aligns with the Federal Government’s push for value-addition.
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has been promoting a 30% Value-Addition Bill that would require at least 30 percent local processing before minerals can be exported, to compel investment in local processing plants and generate jobs.
In August 2025, the government also imposed a six-month ban on export of raw shea nuts to transform Nigeria from an exporter of raw nuts to a global supplier of refined shea butter and derivatives.
Gumi linked the resource policy to sovereignty and foreign relations, saying the nation’s 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.
“Such a country should be among the last to benefit from Nigeria’s strategic mineral resources,” he argued.
“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.”
