Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria has secured a United Nations-backed study facility to develop a roadmap for its critical soldi minerals value chain, from extraction to beneficiation.
The project, funded by the Global Council for Critical Minerals, a specialized body under the Sustainable Energy for All, SEforALL, initiative, is one of the early gains from the recent Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
The study, to be conducted by UC Davis with support from Core International, will assess Nigeria’s critical minerals reserves and establish international best practices for their development.
According to Dr. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, a key outcome of the initiative will be the creation of an industrial sector for local solar power production, reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imported solar products.
Alake during discussions with Mr. Divyam Nagpal, Principal Specialist for Renewable Energy at SEforALL, expressed appreciation for the UN agency’s support.
“Since we have the materials for solar power production, we should vigorously pursue policies that localize production and stop the importation of solar products. We have a large market that extends across West Africa.”
The Minister also assured the UN agency that Nigeria’s investment climate is “positive and friendly,” highlighting the Tinubu administration’s efforts to enhance security and ensure sustainable mining.
“We are putting in place a new security architecture to protect investors and the mining environment. Additionally, we have restructured the Community Development Agreement to maximize local benefits, ensuring a win-win situation for investors, communities, and the state,” he said.
Responding, Mr. Divyam Nagpal, Principal Specialist for Renewable Energy at SEforALL, emphasized that the study facility would support Nigeria’s policy formulation process and enhance the development of its critical minerals sector.
He also extended an invitation to Dr. Alake to attend the Sustainable Energy for All Conference in Barbados, themed “Sustainable Energy for Equity, Security, and Prosperity.”
The event would bring together global leaders from government, business, and finance to drive investment and address the interconnected challenges of energy, climate, and economic development.
