By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
NIGERIA is positioning itself to become Africa’s leading minerals hub with the establishment of lithium processing and gold refining plants across the country, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has disclosed.
Dr Alake made this known on Tuesday during a meeting with the Saudi Arabian Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, ahead of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He said Nigeria’s value-addition policy in the solid minerals sector was already yielding concrete results.
According to the minister, key projects already in place include a gold refining plant in Lagos and a $600 million lithium processing facility in Nasarawa State, which is ready for commissioning and expected to commence production this year.
He expressed Nigeria’s readiness to partner with Saudi Arabia by leveraging areas of comparative advantage in solid minerals development, capacity building and technology transfer.
Dr Alake also underscored the importance of mineral traceability, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, and mine-pit remediation in building a sustainable mining sector.
The meeting, he explained, is aimed at deepening cooperation between both countries, with plans underway to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on solid minerals development.
He invited Saudi investors to explore opportunities within Nigeria’s mining industry, highlighting the country’s growing role in the global green energy transition.
Commending Saudi Arabia for expanding platforms for collaboration among governments across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe through the FMF, Dr Alake said Nigeria was keen to strengthen its partnership with the Kingdom.
“There are areas of comparative advantage where Saudi Arabia excels and others where Nigeria has strengths. We are keen on structuring agreements that will enable us to engage meaningfully and constructively,” he said.
Minister Alake and the Saudi Arabian Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, at the meeting.
“Priority areas include capacity building, training of mining professionals, technology transfer and, particularly, exploration, where Saudi Arabia has demonstrated expertise.”
He noted that Nigeria’s vast landmass is richly endowed with critical minerals and rare earth elements required by the global economy, stressing the need to use the FMF platform to fine-tune actionable partnerships based on fairness, equity and mutual benefit.
Recalling engagements following the FMF 2025, Dr Alake revealed that a joint working group comprising the Nigerian delegation and the Saudi Chamber of Commerce had been active over the past year, adding that its report was ready and would be presented before the close of the current forum.
He further identified mineral traceability, ESG standards and mine-pit remediation as priority areas for collaboration, emphasising that traceability enhances investor confidence and should form a core component of any partnership, alongside clear implementation timelines and robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
In his remarks, Mr Al-Khorayef reaffirmed Nigeria’s status as a long-standing ally of Saudi Arabia and agreed on the need for a practical and actionable agreement on solid minerals development.
He proposed that the joint working group develop a draft MoU based on previous engagements for possible signing on the sidelines of the conference.
He also encouraged Nigeria to utilise the FMF platform to showcase investment opportunities in its mining sector to Saudi investors, while urging African countries to adopt advanced mining technologies, noting that Nigeria could benefit from Saudi Arabia’s progress in this area.
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