Nigeria’s mining sector has attracted approximately $2.62 billion in investments over the past 30 months, according to Vice-President Kashim Shettima. The disclosure signals growing investor confidence in the sector, as the federal government intensifies efforts to unlock the country’s solid minerals potential and reduce reliance on oil revenues.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Kursi Group headquarters in Abuja, Shettima credited recent policy reforms introduced under President Bola Tinubu for the surge in investments. He noted that deliberate steps to de-risk the mining environment and enforce local value addition are beginning to deliver measurable results.
According to the vice-president, the government is shifting focus away from the export of raw minerals towards domestic processing and industrialisation. He emphasised that Nigeria is positioning itself as a global hub for mineral refinement, beneficiation, and value-driven industrial growth, a move expected to create jobs and boost economic diversification.
Shettima highlighted the strategic importance of processing key resources such as lithium and gold within the country. He explained that developing local capacity for refining these minerals would not only strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base but also enhance its role in the global green energy transition, where demand for such resources continues to rise.
The newly inaugurated Kursi Group facility, which includes a mineral refining factory and a digital marketing and tracking platform, reflects the government’s policy direction. Shettima noted that local processing is increasingly becoming a requirement for mining licences, reinforcing Nigeria’s ambition to move up the value chain and build a more resilient, industry-driven economy.