Nigeria and United States Join Forces to Boost Mining Industry Development

Nigeria and the United States have recently strengthened their collaboration to enhance the development of the mining sector. A delegation from Nigeria, led by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele, met with a US government delegation headed by the Senior Advisor to the US President on Energy and Infrastructure, Amos Hochstein. This pivotal meeting took place during the Investing in Africa Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa.

During the meeting, Mr. Hochstein expressed the longstanding and diverse relationship that the US shares with Nigeria, highlighting the US government’s interest in partnering with Nigeria to facilitate investments in the mining ecosystem. The focus of this partnership will include infrastructural development, technical assistance to boost mining operations, and investment in the mining industry.

Dr. Oladele echoed Mr. Hochstein’s sentiments, emphasising the potential for strengthening bilateral relations and achieving mutual benefits for both countries through collaboration in the mining sector. He also proposed the formation of a joint working group to facilitate cooperation and information sharing.

An essential topic of discussion was financing for mining development. The Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) Executive Secretary, Fatima Shinkafi, addressed the resources available for co-investment, highlighting the partnership between SMDF and the African Finance Corporation (AFC) to generate geo-scientific data that will aid investors in making well-informed decisions regarding critical minerals.

Following the meeting, both countries appointed members to a joint working group, signalling a commitment to initiating vital discussions.

The US delegation, led by Amos Hochstein, included Ag. Special Coordinator, Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investments, Helaina Matza; Ribhuti Jain, Regional Managing Director (MD), Development Finance Corporation (DFC); Nisha Biswal, Deputy CEO, DFC; Lyndsey Mewill, Chief of Staff to Amos Hochstein, and other key officials. The Nigerian delegation comprised of DG, Mining Cadastral Office (MCO), Obadiah Nkom; Executive Secretary SMDF, Fatima Shinkafi; DG, Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Dr. Abdulrasak Garba; Director, Investments Promotion and Mineral Trade (IPMT), Ime Ekrikpo, and other high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD).

This partnership between Nigeria and the United States holds significant promise for advancing the mining industry and fostering collaborative growth and advancement in the sector.