The Nigerian government has entered into a partnership with the United Kingdom to establish a joint technical working group focused on the development of critical mineral deposits in Nigeria.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, made this announcement in a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, in Abuja on Wednesday.

The partnership was initiated following a meeting between Alake and the UK Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, during the Mines and Money conference held in London in December 2023.

To finalise the collaboration, a delegation from the British High Commission, led by Deputy High Commissioner Johnny Baxter, visited the Minister of Solid Minerals Development on Tuesday to discuss the details of the partnership.

Alake stated that the partnership would lead to investments in the mining sector value chain. The administration, led by President Bola Tinubu, is committed to improving the ease of doing business in the mining sector and establishing a new security architecture for natural resources. Additionally, the government is working towards creating an efficient governance structure by establishing a Nigerian Mining Corporation led by the private sector.

The minister reiterated the government’s dedication to revamp and reposition the mining sector, aiming to increase its contribution to the nation’s revenue.