The Nigerian Government and the Republic of Türkiye have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the solid minerals sector.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit in Istanbul, Türkiye, marking a major step towards expanding economic collaboration between the two countries.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said Nigeria is prepared to leverage Türkiye’s technological expertise in mining exploration, digitisation, and licensing systems to accelerate reforms and growth in the sector.
“Türkiye is one of the countries we are confident of building strong bilateral cooperation with, particularly in the area of solid minerals development. Nigeria is open to working with the Turkish government to strengthen governance structures, improve technical capacity, and advance sustainable mining development in our country,” he said.
The minister, who also chairs the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, noted that reforms introduced in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector over the past three years have improved the investment climate and attracted genuine investors.
According to him, the Nigerian Government has implemented measures to sanitise the mining sector, improve ease of doing business, and create incentives for foreign investors interested in long-term partnerships.
“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 have continued to attract serious mining stakeholders into Nigeria,” Alake stated.
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He further disclosed that reforms in the sector have led to increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), while reiterating the government’s commitment to securing mining operations across the country.
Highlighting enforcement efforts, Alake said the specially established Mining Marshals have intensified the crackdown on illegal mining activities nationwide.
According to him, more than 300 illegal mining operators, including foreign nationals, have been arrested, while over 150 prosecutions are ongoing. He added that more than 100 illegal mining sites have been recovered and returned to legitimate licence holders.
Responding, 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 reforms introduced in the mining sector, noting that Turkish companies are eager to invest in Nigeria.
The Turkish minister also disclosed that several Turkish industrial manufacturers are interested in expanding operations into Nigeria beyond mining, especially in the energy and hydrocarbon sectors.
He further revealed Türkiye’s interest in renewing energy cooperation and contracts with Nigeria.
