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By Tracy Moses
Nigeria and South Africa have launched a new phase of strategic partnership aimed at boosting mineral development, technology transfer, and industrialization across the continent.
At the Nigeria-South Africa Technical Working Visit on Mining Sector Cooperation held in Abuja on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Alake, emphasized the transformative potential of the alliance.
“Our partnership in the mining sector holds immense promise to unlock Africa’s mineral wealth, drive industrialization, create jobs, and foster sustainable development, this meeting marks a significant step in strengthening the bilateral relationship between our two nations.” he said.
The engagement, attended by South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Hon. Gwede Mantashe, and Nigeria’s Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu Abubakar, focused on enhancing cooperation in geology, mining, mineral processing, and metallurgy.
Stressing Nigeria’s ongoing mining reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Dr. Alake disclosed that both countries were finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would focus on: Technology and knowledge transfer,
Cross-border investment promotion, Capacity building through joint training and research, Regional alignment with the African Mining Vision, Value addition in mineral production
“Nigeria is undergoing a major transformation in its mining sector. We are committed to creating an enabling environment for responsible mining and attracting investment,” Alake noted. He emphasized the importance of leveraging South Africa’s globally recognized mining expertise to enhance Nigeria’s value chains, especially in lithium, gold, tin, baryte, and rare earth elements.
In his closing remarks, Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu, described the meeting as “highly productive,” affirming Nigeria’s readiness to implement the resolutions reached.
“This meeting has reinforced the strong bilateral ties between our nations. We are eager to deepen this partnership through technology transfer, capacity building, and joint ventures that will drive value addition across our mineral value chains,” Prince Audu stated.
He thanked Mantashe and the South African delegation for their commitment and technical contributions, adding that the partnership would bring tangible economic benefits to both nations.
The ministers also lauded the efforts of the technical teams from both countries, committing to sustained collaboration and follow-up engagements to implement agreed priorities.
The Nigeria-South Africa mining cooperation is part of broader efforts to strengthen continental trade and integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with both countries positioning themselves as leaders in sustainable mineral development.
