President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged African countries to explore the continent’s rich mineral resources despite stiff opposition from Western countries.

Speaking at the commissioning of a multipurpose oil refinery in Nigeria built by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, Nana Akufo-Addo emphasized the need to tap into the continent’s natural reserves for development.

“The almighty has blessed our lands with an abundance of natural resources and I believe it will be unfair for the world to demand that Africa abandons its exploitation of these resources needed to finance our development and help us to cope better with the threat of climate change,” he asserted.

The President further indicated that the development and industrialization of most wealthy nations hinged on the exploitation of their natural resources hence the need for Africa to chart the path.

The Dangote Refinery owned by Aliko Dangote is expected to have the capacity to process about 650,000 barrels per day of crude oil, making it the largest single-train refinery in the world.

The investment is over 19 billion US dollars.