U.S. President Donald Trump is welcoming a select group of African leaders to the White House this week for a three-day summit focused on expanding America’s access to vital minerals and natural resources, Nairametrics reported.
But in a notable omission, the continent’s two biggest economies, Nigeria and South Africa, didn’t make the invite list, according to Bloomberg.
Instead, leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal, all relatively smaller economies, will attend the meeting which began on Wednesday.
Together, these five countries have a combined GDP of about $75 billion, based on data from the International Monetary Fund.
Despite their size, they hold rich deposits of minerals and untapped production potential that Washington is eager to explore.
Ahead of the summit, Liberia announced it had signed a $1.8 billion deal with Ivanhoe Atlantic Inc., a U.S. mining company majority-owned by a firm founded by Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. Chairman Robert Friedland.
The agreement will allow the company to rehabilitate and utilize Liberia’s rail network to move iron ore from Guinea for export.
Gabon, currently the world’s second-largest producer of manganese, a mineral key in hardening steel, is also expected to use the talks to attract investment.
“The president of the republic is keen to see Gabon’s natural resources processed locally to add value to the economy, diversify the economy and create jobs,” said Gabon’s ambassador to the U.S., Noël Nelson Messone.
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Four of the five invited countries, excluding Gabon, border the conflict-ridden Sahel region.
With years of instability caused by jihadist violence and repeated military coups, the area presents possible openings for deeper U.S. security cooperation, particularly following America’s closure of its drone base in Niger and the deterioration of ties with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Chad, which terminated a security agreement with the U.S. in April 2024.
On Sunday, President Trump further distanced the U.S. from some of Africa’s major powers by announcing an additional 10% tariff on Nigeria and South Africa.
He cited their alignment with “the anti-American policies of BRICS” as justification for the penalty.
The BRICS bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran, has recently expanded its influence.
Nigeria was officially welcomed as the ninth BRICS partner country, joining others like Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
Speaking at the 17th BRICS Summit, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the alliance and its role in championing the Global South.
“Nigeria remains committed to the BRICS partnership and to the cause of the Global South,” he said.
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Image Credit: Independent
