Nigeria’s mining sector attracts $1.3bn from China, says Minister of Solid Minerals
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has announced that Nigeria’s mining sector has attracted over $1.3 billion in investment from Chinese companies, highlighting the success of ongoing reforms aimed at improving transparency, profitability, and stability in the industry.
Speaking at the 2025 China Mining Conference in Tianjin, with the theme “Connect and Collaborate, Co-Build and Co-Share,” Alake urged investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s evolving mining environment, which he said now offers better security, streamlined operations, and high returns.
He highlighted recent achievements such as the deployment of Mining Marshals and satellite-based monitoring systems to protect licensed miners and combat illegal mining activities across the country.
Alake also pointed to technological innovations designed to ease business operations, including the Electronic Mining Cadastre (EMC+), the Nigerian Mineral Resources Decision System (NMRDS), and newly upgraded digital platforms that enable investors to process applications and conduct transactions remotely.
According to him, Chinese companies such as Canmax Technology, Jiuling Lithium, Avatar New Energy Nigeria Company, and Asba have together invested more than $1.3 billion in lithium processing since September 2023. “These investments have accelerated Nigeria’s economic diversification, reduced dependency on oil, and enhanced local capacity through technology transfer and job creation,” Alake said.
As Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Alake reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening continental collaboration in mineral exploration, data management, and governance. He emphasized the need for African countries to build shared systems of knowledge and reporting standards to fully harness the continent’s mineral potential.
The minister further disclosed plans to expand the Centres of Excellence in Geosciences and Mining Skills and enhance the role of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) and the SMDF-AFC Facility in supporting early-stage exploration and de-risking investments.
Representing Nigeria at a technical session on “Mining in Africa and Policy,” the Director-General of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Professor Olusegun Omoniyi Ige, showcased the country’s National Mineral Resources Data System (NMRDS) and extensive geochemical datasets, while calling for increased investment to convert data into proven mineral resources.
