Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dr. Dele Alake has predicted that Nigeria’s partnership with South Africa in solid minerals sector will unlock Africa’s mineral wealth.
He gave the prediction during the Nigeria-South Africa Technical Working Visit on Mining Sector Cooperation held in Abuja.
The engagement had in attendance the South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Hon. Gwede Mantashe, his Nigeria’s counterpart, Nigeria’s Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu Abubakar, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Mary Ogbe; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Steel Development, Dr. Chris Isokpunwu; alongside senior officials from both solid minerals and steel development ministries.
Alake noted that the new phase of bi-lateral strategic partnership is aimed at boosting mineral development, technology transfer, and industrialization across the continent in order to help transform the potentials of the alliance between the countries.
According to him the new effort is also geared towards deepening intra-African collaboration in the mining sector between the two countries.
According to Alake, “Our partnership in the mining sector holds immense promise to unlock Africa’s mineral wealth, drive industrialization, create jobs, and foster sustainable development.
“This meeting marks a significant step in strengthening the bilateral relationship between our two nations.”
Reflecting on the historical ties between the two countries, Alake noted the longstanding diplomatic and economic cooperation built on mutual respect and a shared vision for Africa’s development. He stressed that collaboration in the mining sector offers vast opportunities for industrialization, job creation, and sustainable growth across the continent.
Alake disclosed that both countries were finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would focus on: “technology and knowledge transfer; cross-border investment promotion; capacity building through joint training and research; regional alignment with the African Mining vision; and value addition in mineral production.”
Highlighting efforts by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ar repositioning the solid minerals sector, Alake said, “Nigeria is undergoing a major transformation in its mining sector. We are committed to creating an enabling environment for responsible mining and attracting investment.”
He emphasized the importance of leveraging South Africa’s globally acclaimed mining expertise to enhance Nigeria’s value chains, especially in lithium, gold, tin, baryte, and rare earth elements.
Read Also: Wife beating an act of cowardice, says Alake of Egbaland
Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu, described the meeting as “highly productive,” affirming Nigeria’s readiness to implement the resolutions reached.
“This meeting has reinforced the strong bilateral ties between our nations. We are eager to deepen this partnership through technology transfer, capacity building, and joint ventures that will drive value addition across our mineral value chains,” Prince Audu stated.
In his remarks, Gwede Mantashe affirmed that South Africa—where mining plays a central role in the economy—stands to gain from Nigeria’s revitalized interest in the sector.
He added that his visit aimed to fine-tune agreements from the Bi-National Commission and to deepen collaboration on mutually beneficial projects with Nigeria’s Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
The Nigeria-South Africa mining cooperation forms part of broader efforts to strengthen continental trade and integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with both countries positioning themselves as leaders in sustainable mineral development.