Nigeria Signs Strategic Mining MoU With Türkiye To Boost Sector Growth

Nigeria and the Republic of Türkiye have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the solid minerals sector, in a move aimed at boosting investment, technology transfer, and sustainable mining development.

The agreement was signed during the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit (INRES) held in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, said the partnership would allow Nigeria to benefit from Türkiye’s expertise in mining exploration, digitisation, licensing systems, training, and capacity building.
Alake noted that President Bola Tinubu has continued to support efforts aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Nigeria and Türkiye, especially in the mining and energy sectors.
According to the minister, reforms introduced by the Federal Government over the past three years have improved transparency, ease of doing business, and investor confidence in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
“We have significantly improved the ease of doing business and strengthened institutional support for investors. Investors can now repatriate profits after due process, while government incentives continue to attract serious stakeholders into the sector,” Alake stated.
He explained that the reforms have resulted in increased Foreign Direct Investment inflows into the mining sector, while the government continues to intensify efforts to tackle illegal mining activities nationwide.
Alake disclosed that more than 300 illegal mining operators, including foreign nationals, have been arrested, while over 150 prosecutions are currently ongoing across the country.
The minister further revealed that more than 100 illegal mining sites have been recovered and returned to legitimate licence owners as part of efforts to restore investor confidence and strengthen lawful mining operations.
During a panel session on global energy security, Dr. Alake stressed the importance of global peace and reduced conflicts in ensuring sustainable energy security.
According to him, conflicts across different parts of the world continue to threaten economic growth and global energy stability.
In his response, Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, described the partnership with Nigeria as strategic and timely.
Bayraktar commended the Nigerian government for the ongoing reforms in the mining sector, adding that Turkish companies are ready to invest in Nigeria.
He also stated that several Turkish firms are interested in expanding into Nigeria’s energy and hydrocarbon sectors.
Georgina Humphrey, Edited By Grace Namiji