Alake receives roadmap to drive green industrialisation

Nigeria has laid down a definitive marker in its quest to break its age-old dependence on crude oil, receiving a comprehensive blueprint designed to spark a multi-billion-dollar critical minerals revolution.

The roadmap, titled “Report Charts Course for Nigeria’s Critical Minerals Revolution”, was formally presented to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, at the just concluded 5th African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2026) in Abuja.

Prepared by the Council for Critical Minerals Development in the Global South, the report outlines practical policy shifts to reform governance, attract ethical foreign investment, and aggressively pursue local processing over the traditional export of raw materials.

Receiving the document, Alake hailed the report as a vital catalyst that directly aligns with the federal government’s economic agenda.

“This is a highly strategic document,” Alake stated. “It perfectly aligns with the Federal Government’s vision of transforming Nigeria’s vast mineral endowment into an active catalyst for industrial development, value addition, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.”

Nigeria sits on massive, largely untapped deposits of high-value strategic minerals—such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earth elements—which are universally essential for manufacturing clean energy technologies like electric vehicles and solar batteries.

The Minister emphasized that the era of shipping raw wealth out of the country without domestic benefit is coming to an end.

“Our absolute priority right now is value addition,” Alake stressed. “The government is systematically restructuring this sector to ensure these strategic resources generate maximum domestic value through local processing and manufacturing, rather than the historic, low-yield practice of exporting raw minerals.”

The minister further noted that the report’s recommendations would directly reinforce ongoing institutional shake-ups aimed at making Nigeria an attractive hub for global clean energy investors.

“The ministry remains fully committed to implementing policies that encourage responsible mining practices, tighten regulatory oversight, and deeply improve investor confidence,” Alake said.

Adding that, “This report will serve as an essential reference document as we continue executing the reforms designed to position Nigeria as the preferred global destination for critical mineral value chains.”

Lauding the authors of the blueprint, Alake said, “I must commend the Council for Critical Minerals Development in the Global South for producing such a comprehensive piece of work. They have provided highly practical recommendations for developing the sector while strictly balancing environmental sustainability and inclusive economic growth.”

The presentation marked the high point of the just concluded AFNIS 2026, which brought together a high-level assembly of continental policymakers, mining executives, and development financiers to hammer out strategies for safeguarding Africa’s energy security and driving industrial growth.