Nigeria is Prime Mining Destination, Says Alake at China Conference

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, actively courted global investors at the China Mining Conference in Tianjin, urging them to significantly increase their stakes in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

The Minister confidently declared that recent, major government reforms have positioned Nigeria as “one of the best destinations for mining investment” worldwide.

Dr. Alake outlined several strategic initiatives implemented to drastically improve the operating environment for investors and curb illicit activities.

For security and enforcement, the government has deployed Mining Marshals to improve safety and protect licensed miners, alongside a New Satellite Mines Monitoring System dedicated to curbing illegal mining nationwide.

To improve technology and the ease of doing business, the Ministry introduced the Electronic Mining Cadastre (EMC+) to simplify license applications and established a Mineral Resources Decision System and a Centre of Excellence to provide easier access to data and support informed decision-making.

Furthermore, the Solid Minerals Development Fund is being expanded to provide essential financial backing for early-stage exploration and de-risking investments.

The Minister provided tangible proof of investor confidence, noting that Chinese companies have already injected over $1.3 billion into lithium processing alone since September 2023.

This financial surge followed specific agreements signed by President Bola Tinubu during his state visit to China the previous year. Dr. Alake, who also chairs the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, stressed that Nigeria’s ambition is not limited to raw extraction.

He articulated a forward-looking national goal: “Nigeria’s goal is not just mineral extraction, but building a full value chain that supports clean energy, jobs, and industrial growth.”

He invited investors to explore opportunities in strategic minerals such as lithium, gold, lead, zinc, barite, and rare earth elements. Supporting this message, Professor Olusegun Ige, Director-General of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency, spoke during a technical session, presenting the country’s growing mineral data systems and advocating for increased exploration investment to convert existing data into proven resources.