Nigeria and the United States have signed a landmark framework agreement aimed at attracting American investment and accelerating the development of Nigeria’s vast solid minerals sector estimated to be worth over $700 billion.
The agreement was signed in New York on Wednesday, September 24, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, and the United States Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau.
The signing ceremony, which took place at Nigeria’s Mission House in New York, was witnessed by senior officials of both governments, diplomats and private sector stakeholders from the mining industry.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the Minister, Kehinde Bamigbetan, the framework is designed to use government-to-government relations as a foundation to drive business-to-business transactions and fast-track the development of Nigeria’s mineral value chain.
The framework covers five critical areas of cooperation, including geological data and mineral exploration, mineral development and processing, infrastructure development, and technical capacity building.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Alake described the pact as a future-shaping agreement and not just a routine diplomatic deal. “Some agreements manage the present, and some agreements shape the future. The framework we sign today belongs to the second kind,” he said.
Alake said the agreement affirms a shared conviction between Nigeria and the United States that supply chains for critical minerals must be secure, resilient and built on responsible investment.
He stressed that Nigeria’s ambition under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is to end the decades-old practice of exporting unprocessed raw materials while other nations capture the greater value.
“Let me be clear about Nigeria’s ambition. We are not here to remain a source of raw material for the values that others create. Our goal is to turn potential into lasting value at home through stronger local processing, new skills, quality jobs, and new opportunities for Nigerian businesses,” Alake stated.
The Minister noted that the implementation of the framework would support economic diversification away from oil, boost industrialization and create thousands of jobs for Nigerians, particularly in mining host communities.
In his remarks, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Washington remains committed to strengthening its partnership with Nigeria, describing Nigeria as Africa’s most populous nation and a regional power that deserves a strong partnership.
Landau said the United States is ready to support Nigeria with capital, technology and technical expertise while fully respecting Nigeria’s sovereignty over its natural resources, and backed Nigeria’s push for local processing and value addition.
He added that the agreement signals a deeper strategic partnership beyond minerals, demonstrating America’s desire to build resilient supply chains for critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy and other emerging technologies.
Industry analysts say the deal comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to reposition its largely underdeveloped mining sector, including its emerging lithium belt, where Chinese companies have so far been the most active foreign investors.
The Federal Government estimates that the commercial value that will ultimately be realized from the $700 billion mineral endowment will depend on improved exploration, infrastructure, financing and processing capacity, which the US partnership is expected to address.
Alake disclosed that in the coming months, both countries will identify viable projects, mobilize investments and build commercial partnerships that deliver measurable benefits, including processing facilities, skill transfer and new industries within Nigeria.
