The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development says it is ready to unveil new strategies aimed at transforming the sector into a key driver of economic diversification, job creation, and national development.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, stated this at the 2025 Ministerial Retreat with the theme: “Enhancing Performance, Strengthening Accountability, and Fostering Innovation in the Solid Minerals Sector,” in Abuja.
In his keynote address, Dr. Dele Alake who stressed the need for Nigeria to break away from outdated practices and fully harness the nation’s vast mineral resources, declared that the era of business as usual was over.
Dr. Alake outlined key milestones already achieved under the current administration to include the allocation of a historic ₦1 trillion for mineral exploration to bridge data gaps, and the deployment of Nigeria’s first-ever Mining Marshals to combat illegal mining activities among others.
“Our mining licence revenue jumped from ₦6 billion in 2023 to ₦12.58 billion in 2024. Royalties doubled to ₦36.8 billion. Over 300 artisanal cooperatives have been formalised. This proves that with vision and will, we can make solid minerals the backbone of our non-oil economy,” the Minister declared.
“On excellence, we must neither fail nor falter. Our Ministry is now a model for service delivery but this is not just an award to display, it’s a call to deliver” he stressed.
“Our charge is clear. Together, we must keep the faith with the Renewed Hope Agenda and deliver a sector that works not just for us, but for generations to come”, he added.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Senator Ekong Sampson, pledged strong legislative backing to ensure the gains made are sustainable and beneficial to all Nigerians.
“From gold to lithium, bitumen to coal, our underground riches hold the key to true economic diversification,” Senator Sampson told the gathering. “Enhanced performance and innovation will unlock this wealth to transform lives, create jobs, curb insecurity, and earn foreign exchange” he stated.
“Our collaboration with the Ministry is key. We will keep refining policy and oversight to ensure Nigeria’s mineral wealth works for its people” Senator Sampson stated.
On his part, Chairman House Committee on Solid Minerals, Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, commended the ministry’s reforms, noting they have already attracted unprecedented levels of investment to the sector.
“In under two years, we moved from earning $6 billion to a revenue base of $38 billion and attracted over $800 billion in foreign direct investment” Gbefwi noted
“The creation of the Nigerian Solid Minerals Development Company is a masterstroke it puts us on the path of an oil-and-gas-like revolution. But we must build institutions that outlive us, so that our communities feel the benefits.” he added.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Yabo Faruk Yusuf, who praised the staff for their commitment, described the retreat as a launchpad for greater accomplishments.
Representing heads of agencies under the Ministry, Director-General of the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office, Obadiah Simon Nkom, described the retreat as a defining moment for renewal and progress in the sector.
“‘Retreat’ means we want to make it better. We are here to retreat ourselves by the time we leave here, we would have become better. Apart from the wealth beneath our feet, we are the wealth” Nkom added.
The retreat, organized by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, is part of efforts to advance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which tasks Ministries, Departments, and Agencies with delivering tangible, people-oriented outcomes.
