Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — In a strategic move to develop the mining sector, the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Kingdom, UK, have decided to establish a joint technical working group to foster collaboration for the development of crucial mineral deposits in the country.
According to a statement by Segun Tomori, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, discussions on the matter between the two nations began when the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, met with the UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden on the sidelines of the Mines and Money Conference, in London, late last year, with the Briton expressing his country’s interest in Nigeria’s lithium.
The statement said both parties have since engaged in further discussions. A delegation from the British High Commission, led by Deputy High Commissioner Johnny Baxter, paid a courtesy visit to Minister Alake in his office.
During the visit, Baxter reiterated the UK’s commitment to fine-tune the details of collaboration that will lead to investments in the mining sector value chain.
While welcoming the guests, Alake said the Federal Government is dedicated to improving the ease of doing business in the mining sector through a new security architecture for natural resources, installing an efficient governance structure through the establishment of a private-sector-led Nigerian Mining Corporation.
The Deputy High Commissioner Baxter commended Nigeria’s efforts to diversify its economy and acknowledged the Minister’s initiatives in bringing global attention to the mining sector. Both parties agreed to establish a joint technical working group to solidify the partnership and encourage investment in the mining industry.
“The efforts of the Minister to give visibility to the mining sector has attracted the attention of the international community and we have agreed to follow through with a joint technical working group that will herald the partnership and foster investment in the mining sector,” Baxter said.
This collaborative effort reflects a shared commitment between Nigeria and the UK to leverage their strengths for the sustainable development of the mining sector, marking a significant step towards fostering international partnerships.
The British delegation that accompanied Baxter included political counselor Tom Burge, Senior Political Adviser Wale Adebajo, and Trade Market Access Lead from the UK Department for Business and Trade, Simeon Umukoro.
