Nigeria is positioning itself as a leading minerals hub in Africa and a key global player in green energy transition minerals, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has revealed.
Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, ahead of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh, Dr. Alake highlighted Nigeria’s strides in local mineral processing.
According to the minister, a high-purity gold refinery is now operational in Lagos, with three additional refineries underway. Meanwhile, a $600 million lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State is ready for commissioning, signaling Nigeria’s commitment to value addition in its mining sector.
Dr. Alake praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts to foster international collaboration across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe through the FMF. He emphasized Nigeria’s interest in deepening its partnership with the Kingdom by leveraging each country’s strengths in solid minerals development.
“There are areas where Saudi Arabia excels and others where Nigeria has advantages,” Dr. Alake said. “We are keen to structure agreements that foster meaningful engagement in capacity building, professional training, technology transfer, and mineral exploration.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s rich deposits of critical minerals and rare earth elements, the minister stressed the importance of partnerships grounded in fairness, equity, and mutual benefit. He also noted ongoing collaboration following the 2025 FMF, including a joint working group with the Saudi Chamber of Commerce, which is expected to present its findings during the current forum.
Dr. Alake also called for cooperation on mineral traceability, ESG standards, and mine-pit remediation to boost investor confidence, ensure accountability, and support sustainable development.
In response, Minister Al-Khorayef reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to Nigeria and proposed drafting a memorandum of understanding for solid minerals development, to be signed on the sidelines of the FMF. He encouraged Nigeria to highlight investment opportunities in its mining sector and adopt advanced mining technologies, drawing from Saudi Arabia’s expertise.
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