Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, announced a national shift away from raw mineral exports toward domestic processing and value addition during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday. The federal strategy pairs with upcoming investor events in Abuja and bilateral talks in Washington to attract project financing.
The Federal Government is moving decisively to dismantle the long-standing practice of shipping raw minerals out of the country without refinement. Officials reiterated this core policy shift as part of a wider push to industrialize the economy, generate employment, and capture greater economic value from the nation’s natural resources.
That policy stance underpins the upcoming Nigeria NOW! Global Investors Expo 2026, which is scheduled for November 19 and 20 at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja. The flagship annual platform aims to bridge the gap between global capital and domestic project developers across key sectors including mining, power, and manufacturing.
Federal Strategy Replaces Extraction with Processing
Speaking at the ministry headquarters in Abuja, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, explained that the government’s priority is no longer centered on exporting unprocessed material. Instead, the administration aims to build an industrial base capable of turning raw deposits into finished goods.
“The ministry’s approach is to move the sector from simple extraction and export of raw minerals towards a system that supports processing, manufacturing, employment and stronger linkages with other parts of the economy.”
Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, via Punch Newspapers
Represented at the press briefing by the Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office, Obadiah Nkom, the minister stressed that this industrial transition cannot happen in isolation. Successful mining and manufacturing require stable supporting systems, from dependable power supplies and transport corridors to predictable regulations and access to financing.
“A mine cannot operate effectively without reliable power, roads, railways, processing facilities, access to financing and predictable regulation.”
Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, via Punch Newspapers
Bilateral Talks in Washington Target Critical Mineral Supply Chains
The domestic push for value addition mirrors high-level international engagement. Minister Alake recently led a delegation from the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company to Washington for bilateral talks at the White House with David Copley, special assistant to the U.S. President and Senior Director for Global Supply Chain at the National Security Council.
Those discussions specifically targeted American capital injections into geological exploration, mining, refining, and local value addition. As clean energy technologies and electric vehicle production drive a global surge in demand for critical minerals, both nations are exploring collaborative frameworks to secure supply chains.
Continental Push for Data Sovereignty and Regional Processing
Beyond national borders, Nigeria has joined forces with the African Development Bank to advocate for broader continental control over mineral wealth. Speaking at the Ministerial Forum on Critical Minerals in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Alake and AfDB President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah called for strategic financing and regional cooperation.
Alake, who chairs the Africa Mineral Strategy Group, criticized the continent’s continued reliance on the Australia-based Joint Ore Reserves Committee reporting standard as outdated. He urged African nations to adopt the home-grown Pan African Resource Reporting Code developed by the Africa Minerals Development Centre to ensure data sovereignty.
“For the overall interest of the continent, and to efficiently and effectively safeguard its resources, Africa should take charge of the coding mechanisms utilised to assess its mineral assets.”
Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, via TVC News
To overcome infrastructural bottlenecks, the minister also proposed establishing a West African minerals-processing corridor. The initiative would allow participating countries to share investment risks and specialize in processing specific materials.
Investors Expo Aims to Connect Global Capital with Domestic Projects
Global Investors Expo.
With the U.S. signaling fresh interest in critical mineral supply chains, the upcoming November expo will serve as the next major test of whether Nigeria can translate its policy ambitions into sustained foreign direct investment.
