Nigeria and Türkiye have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the solid minerals sector, in a move aimed at strengthening economic ties between both countries.
The agreement was signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake and Alparslan Bayraktar, Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources on the sidelines of the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit (INRES).
This is contained in a statement issued by the Special Assistant to Alake, Lara Owoeye-Wise, on Monday in Abuja.
Alake said Nigeria was ready to leverage Türkiye’s technological advancement and expertise in mining exploration, training, digitisation, licencing systems and capacity building to accelerate reforms and growth within the sector.
According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu has given full backing to efforts aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with Türkiye in the mining and energy sectors.
“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.
He noted that reforms introduced in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector had transformed the operating environment and made the sector more attractive to genuine investors.
The minister, who is also the Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, said the Federal Government had introduced measures to sanitise the sector, improve ease of doing business and provide incentives for foreign investors interested to build long-term partnerships in Nigeria.
“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,” he said.
He said the reforms had already triggered increased inflows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the sector and reassured investors of government’s commitment to security and enforcing legal mining operations.
He said President Tinubu’s administration created the Mining Marshals unit which had intensified the crackdown on illegal mining activities across the country.
“As of the latest count, over 300 illegal mining operators, including foreign nationals have been arrested, while more than 150 prosecutions are currently ongoing.
“In addition, over 100 illegal mining sites have been recovered and returned to legitimate licence owners as part of efforts to restore investor confidence and strengthen lawful operations in the sector,” he said.
On his part, Alparslan Bayraktar described the new partnership with Nigeria as strategic and timely, noting that global energy security now required stronger international cooperation and connectivity.
Bayraktar commended the Nigerian government for the reforms and initiatives already introduced in the solid minerals sector, stating that Turkish companies were eager to invest in Nigeria.
“We are ready to invest in Nigeria because of the remarkable initiatives your government has put in place. We look forward to cooperation, support, and guidance that will enable both countries achieve meaningful results,” he said.
The Turkish minister said that several Turkish industrial manufacturers and companies were interested in expanding operations to Nigeria beyond the mining sector, particularly in energy and hydrocarbons.
Nigeria, he noted, was a major player in the hydrocarbon industry and Türkiye was interested to renew energy cooperation and contracts with Nigeria.
According to him, Türkiye is strategically expanding its engagement with African markets, with Nigeria positioned as a critical gateway for broader economic and energy partnerships across the continent.
Meanwhile, speaking during a panel session at the summit titled ‘Energy Security in a Shifting Global Landscape: Connectivity and Cooperation,’ Alake emphasised the urgent need for global peace and conflict reduction as critical conditions for achieving sustainable energy security.
themomentng reports that Türkiye and Nigeria had signed an MoU on mining cooperation in 2021, with the new agreement covering mineral exploration, technology transfer, promoting safe mining practices , human resources development and investment priorities.
Other areas covered in the new agreement includes geological surveys, developing joint projects and exploring cooperation in small-scale mining operations.
