President Bola Tinubu has reiterated Nigeria’s vast potential for wealth creation through its abundant solid mineral resources, stressing that the country should not remain impoverished. The President made the remarks during the 2025 Nigeria Mining Week held in Abuja on Wednesday.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, Tinubu stated that with Nigeria’s rich mineral base and human capital, the country must urgently harness its resources for inclusive economic development.
“Nigeria has no reason to be poor, given our abundant resources and talented people. Our challenge is to harness these potentials to bring prosperity to all. Let us turn our minerals into miracles of development. ‘Minerals to Miracles’ must be our rallying cry,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu Reaffirms Support for Safe, Investor-Friendly Mining Environment
Describing Nigeria Mining Week 2025 as “an emerging global forum for economic renewal,” Tinubu assured stakeholders of his administration’s unwavering commitment to ensuring mining areas are safe, regulated, and profitable for investors, workers, and host communities.
He further emphasized Nigeria’s continental leadership role, noting that Africa holds 30% of the world’s known mineral reserves, including critical minerals essential to the 21st-century global economy.
“We must harness this wealth responsibly, ensuring that more value remains within our economies, creating jobs and industrial clusters,” Tinubu said.
NEITI Calls for Policy Harmonisation and Tax Reforms
Earlier at the event, Chris Ochonu, Deputy Director, Communications & Stakeholders Management at the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), urged policymakers to address persistent challenges in the sector such as multiple taxation, policy overlaps, and a fragmented regulatory framework.
“While licensing reforms are progressing, we must focus on predictability and transparency to attract long-term capital investments,” Ochonu said.
Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary of NEITI, reinforced the call for reform, stating that Nigeria’s mining sector stands at a defining moment, undergoing transformational changes aimed at repositioning it as a key pillar in the country’s economic diversification and energy transition strategy.
Citing the 2023 NEITI Solid Minerals Industry Report, Dr. Orji revealed Sector contribution to GDP remains below 1%, Revenues increased from ₦339.57 billion in 2022 to ₦401.87 billion in 2023 and Artisanal and small-scale miners produced over 80% of total volume but contributed less than 30% of royalties
“This reflects structural and governance challenges that must be urgently addressed,” Orji noted.
Solid Minerals Minister Outlines Tinubu’s Reform Agenda
Also addressing the forum, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Oladele Alake, presented an update on policy reforms aimed at turning the solid minerals sector in Nigeria into a driver of industrialisation and job creation.
On the sidelines of the event, Dr. Orji also spoke at a special mining forum hosted by the Kaduna Mining Development Company, where he highlighted the need for transparency and accountability to boost investor confidence and sustainable productivity.
He encouraged sub-national mining companies to embrace institutional reforms and attract investments that can stimulate state-level economic development.
