G20 Summit: Tinubu Champions Global Ethical AI and Mineral Equity for Africa
In a defining moment for African diplomacy on the global stage, President Bola Tinubu has issued a clarion call to world leaders at the 2025 Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit, demanding the establishment of a robust global framework for the ethical governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a fundamental restructuring of how the world trades in critical minerals.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, the President’s intervention during the third session—themed “A Fair and Just Future for All: Critical Minerals, Decent Work, Artificial Intelligence”—articulated a vision of a new global order. It is a vision where the Global South transitions from being a passive consumer of technology and a raw material reservoir to becoming an equal partner in innovation and industrialization.
A Moral Imperative for Artificial Intelligence
At the forefront of President Tinubu’s address was the urgent need to navigate the complex ethical landscape of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As Artificial Intelligence rapidly transforms from a futuristic concept into the operational backbone of the global economy, Tinubu warned that without a deliberate moral compass, this powerful technology threatens to widen the chasm between the developed and developing worlds.
“Nigeria supports the creation of global ethical standards for AI that uphold safety, transparency, and equity,” the President declared, setting the tone for a debate that is increasingly dominating international relations. His position reflects the anxieties of many developing nations: that AI, if left unregulated, could automate inequality, entrench systemic biases in critical sectors like healthcare and finance, and displace millions of workers in labor-intensive economies.
Tinubu insisted that the trajectory of AI development must be steered consciously to ensure it remains “a servant of humanity” rather than a master that dictates the terms of human existence. He argued that the true measure of AI’s success should not be its computational power or its ability to generate profit for a few tech giants, but its capacity to uplift the human condition globally.
“We must ensure that AI becomes a tool of empowerment, not exclusion; of job creation, not displacement,” he stated. This statement directly addresses the existential threat posed by automation to the burgeoning youth populations of Africa. Instead of fearing the technology, Tinubu advocated for a proactive approach where global partnerships facilitate technology transfer and capacity building.
He called on the G20 to lead the charge in addressing “systemic bias” within AI algorithms—codes often written in the Global North that can inadvertently discriminate against the populations of the Global South due to unrepresentative data sets. “The G20 must therefore address systemic bias and foster sustained multilateral dialogue to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared equitably and its risks responsibly managed,” he urged.
By championing “deliberate partnerships” between the public and private sectors across borders, Tinubu positioned Nigeria not just as a participant in the AI conversation, but as a leader advocating for a “democratization” of intelligence that bridges the digital divide rather than deepening it.
Ending the Resource Curse: Minerals and Finance
Parallel to his stance on technology, President Tinubu launched a vigorous critique of the historical economic models that have governed the extraction of Africa’s resources. With the global transition to green energy driving an insatiable hunger for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, the President drew a line in the sand: the era of exporting raw minerals with zero local value addition must end.
“Nigeria calls for a global framework that promotes value addition at the source, supports local beneficiation, and ensures that communities hosting these resources are not left behind,” Tinubu asserted.
He framed this not merely as an economic preference but as a matter of justice. For decades, the “resource curse” has seen African nations stripped of their wealth while manufacturing jobs and industrial profits are exported to Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Tinubu argued that the “narrow arithmetic of economics” which prioritizes the cheapest supply chains must give way to a “moral character” that prioritizes human dignity and shared prosperity.
This demand for “beneficiation”; the processing of raw materials in their country of origin, is central to Nigeria’s economic foreign policy. It is a strategy designed to force the industrialization of the continent, creating high-value jobs and transferring technical know-how to local workforces.
Crucially, the President linked this resource nationalism to the broader dysfunction of the global financial system. He criticized the current international financial architecture as a relic “built in an era far removed from today’s challenges,” arguing that it is structurally incapable of supporting the development goals of the Global South.
“For trade to be truly inclusive, the G20 must take bold and deliberate steps towards reforming the international financial architecture and the global institutions that sustain it,” he said. He highlighted how crushing debt burdens and discriminatory credit ratings prevent African nations from investing in the very infrastructure needed to process their minerals or build their AI capabilities.
“Only a more equitable and more responsive system can manage global financial flows with fairness, address recurring debt crises with sincerity, and meet the needs of all nations, especially those in the Global South who have too often stood at the margins of global opportunity,” Tinubu noted.
The ‘Renewed Hope’ for a Digital Workforce
Bringing the message home, President Tinubu emphasized that Nigeria is not merely waiting for global handouts or regulatory changes but is actively preparing its own house for the future. He linked his international demands to the domestic “Renewed Hope Agenda,” presenting Nigeria as a nation aggressively pivoting toward a knowledge-based economy.
He cited the administration’s investments in digital literacy, vocational training, and youth entrepreneurship as evidence of a country preparing its citizens for the disruptions of the 21st century. This includes initiatives championed by agencies like the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to train millions of technical talents, positioning Nigeria as a future exporter of skills, not just minerals.
“Decent work is the anchor that makes these transitions fair, inclusive, and sustainable,” Tinubu told the G20 leaders. “It is the foundation of development that ensures every person has the opportunity to contribute, thrive, and share in national prosperity”.
The President’s rhetoric highlights a strategic alignment between Nigeria’s foreign policy and its domestic economic reforms. By advocating for a fair global playing field in AI and minerals, he is effectively trying to clear the path for Nigeria’s homegrown initiatives such as the National AI Strategy and the push for solid minerals development to succeed.
As the summit progresses in South Africa—a symbolic venue representing Africa’s rising geopolitical weight—Tinubu’s message, delivered through Vice President Shettima, serves as a potent reminder. The Global South is no longer content with the periphery and as such, seeks a central role in defining the ethics of the future and managing the wealth of the earth.
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