From - Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Phd, CFR
Yesterday, I had the honour of delivering the keynote address at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference, organized by the former Vice President of the World Bank, Ms. Arunma Oteh, OON, in Abuja. The event also featured the presentation of the Africa Minerals Report, a document of strategic importance not just to our nation but to the entire continent.
In my address, I emphasized the need for our nation to focus on critical minerals as one of the defining contests of the 21st century. Today’s global competition has moved beyond factories to new factors of economic production, computing power, chips, and data. It has become imperative for us to master these inputs rather than stand idle in our journey to prosperity.
The 10th House of Representatives remains steadfast in advancing laws that will future-proof Nigeria’s economy. Our legislative efforts are geared towards ensuring that our mineral resources drive value addition, green manufacturing, and industrial development within our borders.
With over 12 bills seeking to significantly advance our solid minerals sector to enable us compete globally in computing power, electric vehicles manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Our goal is to provide legislative frameworks that will ensure the transition from extraction to beneficiation, and from natural wealth to tech-driven economic independence.
I congratulate Ms. Arunma Oteh on the public presentation of her new book, All Hands on Deck: Unleash Prosperity through World Class Capital, an powerful book that sets a new standard of leadership for Nigeria and Africa.
I commend the Oxford Global Think Tank and all partners for advancing the conversation on transformational leadership for the good of our nation, and continent.
