The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, disclosed this weekend that Chinese investments in Nigeria’s lithium processing alone have reached $1.3 billion.

Alake made the statement at the China Mining Conference in Tianjin, while speaking on the theme, ‘Connect and Collaborate, Co-Build and Co-Share’, according to a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori.

Tomori also reported that the Minister used the platform to woo investors to increase their investment stakes in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, citing positive reforms that promise higher returns.

According to Tomori, the Minister impressed his hosts with security reforms, including the Mining Marshals and the satellite mines monitoring project, which were introduced to protect licensed miners and curtail illegal mining.

Meanwhile, in reviewing the Chinese mining business, Alake acknowledged that investments in lithium processing alone grossed $1.3 billion since September 2023, adding that Memoranda of Understanding signed by President Bola Tinubu during a state visit in September 2024 have led to substantial investment commitments.

His words confirmed the scale of the investment: “Since September 2023, when this administration assumed office, Chinese companies such as Canmax Technology, Jiuling Lithium, Avatar New Energy Nigeria Company, and Asba have invested over $1.3 billion in lithium processing.”

He emphasized the benefits of these funds, stating: “The investments have boosted Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts, reduced its dependency on oil and attracted infrastructure, technology transfer, and expertise. Joint Ventures between Chinese and Nigerian companies in the mining sector often enhance local capabilities and skills among Nigerian workers and engineers.”

The Minister also informed conference participants about the dramatic changes taking place in the Nigerian mining sector, including upgrades in technology to ease doing business and processing applications.

These upgrades include the Electronic Mining Cadastre, the Nigerian Mineral Resources Decision System, the Centre of Excellence, and the websites of the Ministry and agencies, all of which serve as unique utilities to improve remote transactions globally in Nigeria’s mining sector.

Alake, who is currently the Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening continental cooperation in mineral exploration and reporting standards, stating that Africa must build shared systems of knowledge and governance if it is to fully benefit from its vast mineral endowments.

He also reaffirmed plans to strengthen the regional Centres of Excellence in Geosciences and Mining Skills, and to expand the role of the Solid Minerals Development Fund and the SMDF-AFC Facility in supporting early-stage exploration and de-risking investments.

He concluded with a direct invitation to the global community: “We warmly invite investors, development partners, and technical institutions to explore Nigeria’s vast opportunities in minerals such as lithium, gold, lead-zinc, barite, and rare earth elements. Our government offers a conducive investment climate, improved security of tenure, and incentives that guarantee mutual benefit.”

He further clarified Nigeria’s long-term goal for the sector: “Nigeria’s vision is not only to extract minerals but to build a globally competitive value chain that supports clean energy transition, job creation, and industrial growth, all within the framework of responsible mining,” he said.

According to the statement, representing Nigeria in the technical session on “Mining in Africa and Policy,” the Director-General of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency, Prof Olusegun Omoniyi Ige, highlighted the National Mineral Resources Data System and Nigeria’s extensive aeromagnetic and geochemical datasets, which together provide a solid foundation for informed mineral exploration.

Ige also noted that while these datasets have greatly improved the country’s geological understanding, greater investment is still required to expand exploration coverage and convert data into proven mineral resources.

Other speakers included the Deputy Director-General of the China Geological Survey, Mr. Xu Xueyi; Minister of Minerals of Sudan, H.E. Mohamed Ahmed Taha; the Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources of South Africa, Ms. Phumzile Mgcina; and the Director-General of Geological Exploration, Sierra Leone, Mr. Joseph Lebbie.