Nigeria’s shift from exporting rocks to building industry

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule's observation that Dele Alake has become "a better mining engineer than me" highlights a significant shift in Nigeria's approach to its mineral wealth. This statement underscores the transformation underway in the solid minerals sector, moving beyond the mere extraction of raw materials to developing robust processing and manufacturing industries.

Governor Sule, initially skeptical about appointing a media professional as Minister of Solid Minerals Development, acknowledged Alake's rapid immersion into the technical and complex mining sector. Alake has not only mastered the industry's language but has also embraced President Bola Tinubu's policy direction with "uncommon seriousness." His stewardship is characterized by treating mining as a strategic instrument for economic transformation, rather than just another government portfolio.

The minister's policy emphasis on local processing and value addition marks a significant departure from the historical extract-and-export model. Evidence of this reform's impact is emerging: Federal Government revenue from solid minerals reportedly surged from approximately N6 billion in 2023 to over N38 billion in 2024, and reached N71 billion by 2025. Furthermore, the sector has attracted more than $2.6 billion in processing projects, signaling a move from speeches to measurable economic activity.

Nasarawa State serves as a key case study, with its lithium resources attracting international attention and a major processing facility positioning the state within the global critical-minerals value chain. Described as West Africa's largest lithium processing plant, it boasts a daily capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes. The dramatic account of a Chinese buyer dispatching a custom aircraft for state governors to China illustrates the growing strategic importance of Nigerian minerals on the international market.

“

He grabbed it, he took it, he’s serious about it.