By Stella Odueme
Nigeria and the United States have signed a framework agreement aimed at deepening American investment in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and unlocking the country’s estimated $700 billion mineral resources.
The agreement was signed and exchanged on Wednesday at Nigeria’s Mission House in New York by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and the US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau.
The Federal Government said the framework would leverage the Nigeria-US government relationship to facilitate business-to-business transactions and strengthen value addition across the country’s mineral value chain.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Alake described the agreement as a landmark development capable of shaping the future of Nigeria’s mining industry.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser, Kehinde Bamigbetan, the minister said Nigeria was determined to move beyond the export of raw minerals by promoting local processing, skills development, job creation and greater participation of Nigerian businesses in the sector.
“Some agreements manage the present, and some agreements shape the future. The framework we sign today belongs to the second kind,” Alake said.
He added that the agreement reflected a shared commitment by both countries to ensuring that critical mineral supply chains were secure, resilient and based on responsible investment.
According to him, the framework would facilitate cooperation in geological data and exploration, mineral development and processing, infrastructure development and technical capacity building.
Alake said the implementation of the agreement would support the economic diversification objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda while accelerating industrial development.
“Now comes the harder and more important work: moving from agreement to implementation. A signature is a promise, results are the proof,” he said.
The minister said Nigeria would, in the coming months, identify viable projects, mobilise investments and develop commercial partnerships capable of delivering measurable benefits to both countries.
Responding, Landau said the United States regarded Nigeria as a regional power and a country deserving of a strong partnership with Washington.
He said the agreement would contribute to greater prosperity in both countries, adding that the United States was prepared to support Nigeria’s economic growth.
“The signal we are sending is that the United States and Nigeria are partners,” Landau said.
He added that under the leadership of US President Donald Trump and President Tinubu, both countries had achieved progress in their bilateral relationship and expressed the desire to build on the momentum.
Members of the US delegation included the Deputy Assistant Secretary for West African Affairs, Rich Michaels; Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southern Africa, Foreign Assistance and Critical Minerals, Chris Kulukundis; Senior Policy Adviser to the Deputy Secretary, Wyatt Toehlkeke; and Jitu Sardar.
Also present were Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Engr. Yusuf Yabo; Director-General, Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, Engr. Simon Nkom; Executive Secretary, Solid Minerals Development Fund, Hajiya Fatima Shinkafi; and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, Martin Imonitie.