By our Reporter
Nigeria and Türkiye have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the solid minerals sector as both countries seek to deepen economic and investment ties.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit held in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the partnership would enable Nigeria to benefit from Türkiye’s expertise in mining exploration, digitisation, licensing systems, training and capacity building.
According to Alake, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fully supported efforts aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation with Türkiye in the mining and energy sectors.
“Türkiye is one of the countries we are confident of building strong bilateral cooperation with, particularly in the area of solid minerals development,” the minister said.
He explained that reforms introduced in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector over the past three years had improved the investment climate and attracted genuine investors into the industry.
Alake noted that the Federal Government had implemented measures to sanitise the sector, improve ease of doing business and create incentives for long-term foreign investments.
“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 stated.
The minister disclosed that the reforms had already triggered increased Foreign Direct Investment inflows into the sector, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to security and lawful mining operations.
He also highlighted the activities of the Mining Marshals established to combat illegal mining across the country.
According to him, more than 300 illegal mining operators, including foreign nationals, have been arrested, while over 150 prosecutions are ongoing nationwide.
He added that more than 100 illegal mining sites had 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 reforms introduced by the Nigerian government in the solid minerals sector and expressed the readiness of Turkish companies to invest in Nigeria.
“We are ready to invest in Nigeria because of the remarkable initiatives your government has put in place,” he said.
The Turkish minister also revealed that several Turkish companies were interested in expanding investments into Nigeria’s energy and hydrocarbon sectors.
He described Nigeria as a critical gateway for Türkiye’s broader economic and energy engagement with African markets.
Meanwhile, during a panel session on global energy security at the summit, Alake stressed the need for peace and reduced global conflicts to guarantee sustainable energy security.
“Without peace, discussions around energy security become difficult. The international community must work seriously towards peace if we truly want to guarantee sustainable energy security for the future,” the minister said.
