Nigeria and the United States have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the solid minerals sector, with a renewed focus on attracting American investment, advancing local mineral processing and building resilient critical minerals supply chains.
The agreement was reached during a high-level bilateral meeting at the White House between a Nigerian delegation led by Dr. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, and senior U.S. officials.
The Nigerian delegation, which included executives of the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company (NSMC), met with David Copley, Special Assistant to the U.S. President and Senior Director for Global Supply Chain at the U.S. National Security Council, and Diana London of the DCI Group.
According to the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, discussions centred on expanding collaboration across the entire critical minerals value chain, including geological exploration, modern mining technologies, mineral processing, refining and value addition.
The ministry said the partnership aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, which seeks to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on oil by developing the country’s vast solid minerals resources. “This high-level engagement is fully aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, prioritising aggressive economic diversification, rapid industrialisation, job creation and the attraction of strategic foreign investment,” the ministry said in a statement.
With global demand for critical minerals rising amid the transition to clean energy, both countries underscored the importance of developing secure and resilient supply chains.
The ministry said the talks reinforced an investment-driven partnership aimed at promoting sustainable mining, expanding local value addition and delivering long-term economic benefits for both countries. “Our shared goal is promoting sustainable mineral development, expanding local value addition, and delivering long-term, shared economic prosperity for both nations,” the statement added.
The collaboration is expected to encourage greater participation by U.S. investors in Nigeria’s mining industry through increased private-sector investment, technical assistance and technology transfer.
Industry stakeholders believe stronger cooperation with the United States could help unlock Nigeria’s largely untapped mineral resources while accelerating the development of local processing and refining capacity.
The initiative also supports the Federal Government’s broader strategy of positioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial growth, employment and export earnings.
