MP Mohamed Abou El-Enein, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, affirmed that Africa possesses vast opportunities for achieving development, while also facing major challenges that must be addressed to realize its full potential.
Speaking at the Conference on the Development of Mineral Resources in Africa—as reported by TV host Ahmed Moussa during his program “Ala Mas’ouliyati” on Sada El-Balad channel—Abou El-Enein stated: “Africa today is very different from what it used to be. Africans are proud of what they have, and they now recognize their true value, their human resources, their mineral wealth, and their strategic location.”
He added: “Africans do not need external assistance; rather, they need to build their own capacities. We must enhance value addition — we have many opportunities, and we are fully capable of managing our own development.”
Abou El-Enein pointed out that many people around the world are aware of the true value of Africa’s mineral resources. He explained that raw materials such as gold, copper, diamonds, and iron are extracted from Africa but gain much greater value when processed abroad, yielding huge profits for others.
He continued: “We want to see industrialization in Africa. Therefore, we must organize ourselves — and the first step is to establish a special industrial zone for Africa.”
Abou El-Enein went on to stress the importance of providing incentives for industrialization, noting that the continent faces major challenges in transportation and intra-African connectivity.
We need a project that connects East to West and North to South,” he said, adding that such infrastructure projects would greatly facilitate the movement of goods across the continent, from south to north, and promote economic integration and trade within Africa.
