Nigeria Sets Bold Reform Agenda at G20, Calls for Debt Relief and Fair Mineral Governance

By Iyojo Ameh

Nigeria has reaffirmed that its participation at the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg is anchored on its national priorities and its push for a more equitable global economic order.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, said Nigeria’s engagements at the summit aligned with its long-standing commitment to fairness, transparency, and shared prosperity.

The statement explained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Third Session of the summit—emphasized that Nigeria’s contributions were guided by principles of equity, value creation, and the dignity of the African continent.

In his message to world leaders, President Tinubu urged the G20 to prioritize debt sustainability and responsible mineral governance, describing them as central to any meaningful global economic reform. He warned that sustainable development would remain elusive as long as developing nations were trapped in debt cycles or subjected to extractive practices that mirror historical inequities.

Nigeria’s delegation further stressed that Africa must no longer be defined merely as a source of raw materials. Instead, the continent should be positioned at the forefront of value addition, industrial transformation, and technological innovation—foundations they identified as critical for shared global prosperity.

Speaking to the summit’s theme, “A Fair and Just Future for All: Critical Minerals, Decent Work, Artificial Intelligence,” Vice President Shettima highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing investments in technology, skills development, and youth empowerment under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He reaffirmed that major global transitions must remain human-centered, saying: “Decent work is the anchor that makes these transitions fair, inclusive and sustainable.”

Ambassador Tuggar added that Nigeria reiterated its call for a fair global framework for the extraction and trade of critical minerals, insisting that resource-rich African communities must fully benefit from industries operating on their land. Tinubu’s message underscored that Africa’s mineral wealth should drive its industrialization rather than reinforce systemic disadvantages.

Tuggar also congratulated President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African government for hosting the first-ever G20 Summit on African soil, describing it as a historic milestone that affirms Africa’s expanding role in shaping global governance.