The Federal Government and the United States are strengthening their strategic partnership to attract greater investment into Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and enhance collaboration across the critical minerals value chain.
The move followed a high-level meeting at the White House between Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development,, who led a delegation from the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company (NSMC), and senior U.S. officials.
According to a statement issued by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Lara Owoeye-Wise, the delegation 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, alongside Diana London of DCI Group.
Strengthening Strategic Cooperation
The discussions focused on deepening the Nigeria–United States strategic partnership by encouraging increased investment in Nigeria’s solid minerals industry.
Both sides explored opportunities for collaboration across the entire critical minerals value chain, including geological exploration, mining, mineral processing, refining and value addition.
The meeting also examined ways to build secure and resilient supply chains for critical minerals that are essential to the global energy transition.
Aligning With Tinubu’s Economic Agenda
According to the statement, the engagement supports President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation and the attraction of strategic foreign investment.
The government said expanding cooperation with the United States would help unlock Nigeria’s vast mineral resources while promoting sustainable mining practices and increased local value addition.
Driving Investment and Economic Growth
The statement added that the renewed engagement reinforces the growing economic relationship between Nigeria and the United States through investment-driven collaboration.
It noted that the partnership is expected to stimulate sustainable development in the mining sector, strengthen local processing capacity and create shared economic opportunities for both countries.
The Federal Government has continued to position the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, with efforts focused on attracting global investors, improving regulation and increasing the contribution of mining to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
