U.S. eyes fresh investments in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector

The United States has signalled its readiness to deepen investments across the country’s critical minerals value chain following high-level bilateral talks at the White House, in a move that could significantly boost Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Nigeria’s mining sector.

Dele Alake, the minister of Solid Minerals Development, recently led a delegation from the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company (NSMC) to Washington. The Nigerian contingent met with David Copley, special assistant to the U.S. President and Senior Director for Global Supply Chain at the National Security Council, alongside Diana London of the DCI Group.

The discussions centred on expanding U.S. capital injection into Nigeria’s largely untapped solid minerals sector. Specifically, the talks targeted investment opportunities spanning geological exploration, mining, processing, refining, and local value addition.

With the global pivot towards renewable energy, both nations are exploring collaborative frameworks to build resilient and secure supply chains for minerals essential to the energy transition. This partnership is expected to elevate Nigeria’s positioning in the highly competitive global critical minerals market, which is currently seeing a surge in demand driven by electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy technologies.

Lara Owoeye-Wise, special assistant on Media to the Minister, noted in a statement that the engagement aligns directly with President Bola Tinubu’s economic diversification blueprint. The administration has heavily prioritised industrialisation, job creation, and the attraction of strategic foreign capital to reduce the country’s historical over-reliance on crude oil revenues.

Crucially, the White House meeting underscores the Nigerian government’s ongoing policy shift within the extractive industry. The administration is pivoting away from the legacy model of raw mineral exportation, pushing instead for mandatory in-country processing and refining. Policymakers argue that this value-addition approach is necessary to maximise economic yields, attract patient capital, and expand local business opportunities.

Ngozi Ekugo holds an MSc in Management from the University of Hertfordshire. She is also an alumna of University of Lagos, Queen’s College, and an Associate Member of CIPM. Her experienc eincludes a brief time in the Human Capital Management division of Goldman Sachs in London, and currently draws on her cross-sector experience to cover employment trends, career opportunities and international mobility.