Nigeria, Türkiye sign mining cooperation deal

Nigeria and Türkiye have formalized a partnership to enhance bilateral cooperation in the solid minerals sector, signing a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at deepening economic ties. The agreement was finalized on the sidelines of the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit.

Nigeria's Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, expressed confidence in building strong cooperation with Türkiye, particularly in leveraging its technological expertise. He stated that Nigeria is open to working with the Turkish government to strengthen governance, improve technical capacity, and advance sustainable mining practices. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly given his full backing to strengthening bilateral relations in both mining and energy sectors.

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Türkiye is one of the countries we are confident of building strong bilateral cooperation with, particularly in the area of solid minerals development. Nigeria is open to working with the Turkish government to strengthen governance structures, improve technical capacity, and advance sustainable mining development in our country.

Alake highlighted that reforms introduced in Nigeria's solid minerals sector over the past three years have improved the operating environment and increased its attractiveness to investors. Measures to sanitize the sector, enhance the ease of doing business, and provide incentives for long-term partnerships are in place. He noted that investors can now repatriate profits after due process, and government incentives are attracting serious mining stakeholders.

The minister also reported on enforcement efforts, including crackdowns on illegal mining. Specially created Mining Marshals have intensified operations, leading to the arrest of over 300 illegal mining operators, including foreign nationals. More than 150 prosecutions are ongoing, and over 100 illegal mining sites have been recovered and returned to legitimate owners.

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We have significantly improved the ease of doing business and strengthened institutional support for investors. Investors can now repatriate profits after due process, while government incentives have continued to attract serious mining stakeholders into Nigeria.