By Stella Odueme
Nigeria has intensified efforts to attract foreign investment into its solid minerals sector as the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, led a delegation from the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company (NSMC) to the White House for high-level talks with senior United States officials.
The delegation met with David Copley, Special Assistant to the U.S. President and Senior Director for Global Supply Chain at the U.S. National Security Council, alongside Diana London of DCI Group, to explore opportunities for expanding bilateral cooperation in the mining sector.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to Minister, Lara Owoeye-Wise, the discussions centred on strengthening collaboration across the critical minerals value chain, including geological exploration, mining, mineral processing, value addition and refining.
Both sides also explored ways to build secure and resilient supply chains for minerals essential to the global energy transition.
The meeting is part of ongoing efforts by the Nigerian government to deepen strategic economic ties with the United States while positioning the country’s solid minerals sector as a key destination for international investment.
According to the ministry, the engagement aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places emphasis on economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation and attracting strategic foreign investment.
The ministry added that the talks also reinforce the growing U.S.-Nigeria partnership through investment-driven collaboration aimed at promoting sustainable mineral development, expanding local value addition and delivering shared economic prosperity.
