Nigeria, April 13 -- It is an absolute fact. Nigeria stands on the threshold of a mineral-driven economic renaissance. Beneath its soil lies a vast repository of over 44 commercially viable minerals ranging from gold, lithium, and zinc to limestone and coal, collectively valued at more than $700 billion.

At a time when the global economy is pivoting toward energy transition minerals, Nigeria's solid minerals sector offers a strategic pathway to diversify away from oil dependency, expand revenue streams, and generate mass employment.

Yet, despite this immense promise, the sector remains grossly underperforming, contributing less than 2 per cent to the nation's Gross Domestic Product as of early 2025. More troubling, the mining landscape ...