₦airaland Forum

Nigeria and the United States have signed a framework agreement to deepen American investment in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, with cooperation spanning geological data and exploration, mineral development and processing, infrastructure and technical capacity.

The agreement, signed by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and the US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, at Nigeria’s Mission House in New York, is expected to provide a framework for business-to-business transactions aimed at developing Nigeria’s mineral value chains.

The framework is also expected to leverage the bilateral relationship between both countries to attract investment into Nigeria’s estimated $700 billion mineral resource base and promote greater value addition within the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, Alake said the agreement marked a shift from Nigeria’s traditional role as an exporter of raw materials, stressing that the government’s objective was to retain more value from the country’s mineral resources through local processing, skills development and job creation.

He said: “Some agreements manage the present, and some agreements shape the future. The framework we sign today belongs to the second kind. In signing this framework, Nigeria and the United States affirm a shared conviction: that the supply chains for these critical minerals must be secure, resilient and built on responsible investment.”

The minister said Nigeria was not seeking to remain merely a source of raw materials for industries elsewhere, but wanted to develop domestic processing and manufacturing capacity around its mineral resources.

According to him, the framework would facilitate cooperation in geological data and exploration, mineral development and processing, infrastructure development and technical capacity building.

He said the initiative would support the economic diversification objectives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and contribute to industrial growth.

Alake, however, said the signing was only the beginning, stressing that the success of the framework would depend on its implementation.

“Now comes the harder and more important work: moving from agreement to implementation. A signature is a promise, results are the proof,” he said.

He added that Nigeria and the United States would, in the months ahead, identify viable projects, mobilise investments and develop commercial partnerships capable of delivering measurable benefits to both countries.

Responding, Landau said the United States regarded Nigeria as a regional power and was committed to strengthening its partnership with the country.

He said the agreement would support greater prosperity in both countries, adding that Washington was pleased to support Nigeria’s economic growth. “The signal we are sending is that the United States and Nigeria are partners,” Landau said.

He added: “Under President Trump and President Tinubu’s leadership, the United States and Nigeria have done many things together in the last one and a half years that we’ve never done before. I think we would like to keep building on that momentum.”

The US delegation included the Deputy Assistant Secretary for West African Affairs, Rich Michaels; Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southern Africa, Foreign Assistance and Critical Minerals, Chris Kulukundis; Senior Policy Adviser to the Deputy Secretary, Wyatt Toehlkeke; and Jitu Sardar.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Yusuf Yabo; Director-General, Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office, Simon Nkom; Executive Secretary, Solid Minerals Development Fund, Hajiya Fatima Shinkafi; and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, Martin Imonitie, witnessed the ceremony.

depezee:
Audio is the electronic or digital representation of sound

AGCNewsNet:
https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/25/nigeria-us-sign-framework-to-unlock-investment-in-700bn-minerals-sector/

Boywiszy:
Na wa oo, that's why we keep being slaves, how can you vex for who is investing in your country it's impossible na

cyrusmillz:
Isn't it possible to have local and indigenous companies that will fully exploit the natural resource we have instead of the politicians signing deals that only benefits them.

At the end, the resources will be exported and the finished products will be sold back to us much higher.

Ironbull:
I don't understand you? So Saudi is a slave to US cus of US investment in Saudi? So US is slave to China as China is their biggest trading partner?

Pls I don't understand your statement cus im hearing this the first time that signong business or trade with another country mean slavery.

Hez143:
"don't argue with idiot,they bring you down to their level,and beat you with experience"

Boywiszy:
Na wa oo, that's why we keep being slaves, how can you vex for who is investing in your country it's impossible na

Ironbull:
I don't understand you? So Saudi is a slave to US cus of US investment in Saudi? So US is slave to China as China is their biggest trading partner?

Pls I don't understand your statement cus im hearing this the first time that signong business or trade with another country mean slavery.

Ironbull:
Haaaa! Some pipu wont like all these good news since yesterday about Nigeria and US.

Governance is far different from online bruhaha definitely..

damoobaba:
dont try to understand those people, na mumu dem be. They only want obi to be president. they dont care if he takes nigeria backward and not pay salaries.

cyrusmillz:
Isn't it possible to have local and indigenous companies that will fully exploit the natural resource we have instead of the politicians signing deals that only benefits them.

At the end, the resources will be exported and the finished products will be sold back to us much higher.

Fuckyoumod:
gullibility is the failure to process information mentally and smartly by looking into facts and reality.

What's the reality and facts on ground?

Fuel is still sold for over 1k. People still sleep hungry, anti people policies of this satanic govt is still impoverishing the people.

And a gullible Nigerian is here talking about good news over online propaganda. That's the height of gullibility and mental insanity.

Blakjewelry:
This is the end goal of all those talk about killing Christian in Nigeria.

Many fools where happy when the issue was making headlines, they believe trump is coming to rescue their ass, I tried to explain that those moves are just to counter China in Africa especially Nigeria they said it is a lie.

China growing presence in Africa is threatening America in key rare earth mineral so they are using every arsenal in their possession to counter that.

udemzyudex:
Minerals sector,interesting.

Bimow:
Nigeria shall be great again in the name of Jesus Christ
Asiwaju till 2031