The European Union (EU) has expressed strong interest in expanding trade and investment in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, as announced by EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, in Abuja.
Mignot praised Nigeria’s efforts to reform its mining sector and expressed the EU’s desire to deepen its understanding of the industry to foster collaborations.
In response, Alake highlighted Nigeria’s readiness to partner with EU member states and investors.
“Given our history and the cordial relationship we’ve maintained with the EU, the time is ripe to map out concrete plans and translate them into actionable projects within the solid minerals sector,” he said.
Alake emphasised Nigeria’s vast reserves of critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and copper, vital for the global green energy transition.
“We have lithium, cobalt, copper, and more—all in commercially viable quantities. Nigeria is deepening exploration this year to discover more.
“Even within the limited areas explored so far, we’re looking at over $700 billion in mineral deposits. This represents a massive investment opportunity, and we encourage EU investors to take advantage of it,” he stated.
