The Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has delivered a compelling presentation to potential investors from Qatar, assuring them that the Nigerian government will furnish comprehensive and accurate data regarding the distribution and quantity of lithium, an energy mineral. This information will be made available through the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) for any enterprises interested in establishing operations in Nigeria.
In a meeting with Qatari business leaders in Doha, Qatar, Minister Dele Alake reiterated the government’s dedication to providing essential information to facilitate investment opportunities in the country. The minister’s special adviser, Kehinde Bamigbetan, issued a statement outlining the details of the meeting, which took place during President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to Qatar. Among the attendees were Sheikh Al Jouneid, the CEO of ETCC Qatar, and Aminu Dahiru, the chairman of Asdub Oil and Gas.
A prominent topic of discussion during the meeting was the quality of Nigerian lithium, as raised by Sheikh Shahid Jawad, a prominent figure in the Qatari business community. Minister Alake disclosed that extensive mineral surveys conducted by the federal government have successfully identified locations in Nigeria abundant in lithium, particularly in high-grade compositions. He also shared his experience of being presented with rock samples from Nigeria during a visit to Australia, which were subsequently confirmed to contain impressive lithium content following rigorous laboratory testing. This recognition has firmly established the quality of Nigerian lithium within the global mining industry.
Furthermore, Minister Alake encouraged Qatari entrepreneurs to explore the ample opportunities available in Nigeria’s mining sector. He emphasized that the government has implemented favourable and investor-friendly policies to facilitate seamless business operations for interested parties.
Fatimah Shinkafi, the executive secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund, also urged potential investors to consider opportunities in investing in mining infrastructure. She highlighted the impactful example of Vale, a renowned mining company in Brazil that made significant investments in trains to streamline the transportation of minerals from mines to processing centres. Shinkafi stressed that while the government will continue to provide transportation facilities to these mines, mining companies that recognize the pivotal role of transportation in future cost control should also make judicious investments to supplement the government’s efforts.
In addition to the productive discussions, Muhammed Santuraki, the vice-chairman of the Qatar-Nigerian Chamber of Business, highlighted the establishment of the chamber in 2017 to foster and strengthen business relationships between the two countries. Reflecting on a recent visit to a gold mine in Nasarawa state, he acknowledged the presence of well-maintained roads crucial for transporting minerals to the ports for export.
The government’s proactive efforts to attract foreign investment and the promising potential of Nigeria’s mining sector have evidently been well received by the Qatari business community, marking a positive step towards future collaborations between the two countries.