The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has called for the establishment of regional energy hubs as a strategic pathway to accelerate cross-border mining industrialisation.
Alake made the call while speaking at a panel session themed “Critical Minerals in Africa: Meeting Global Demand” on the sidelines of the 11th Powering Africa Summit (PAS) in Washington, D.C., United States.
The minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Segun Tomori, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
He urged the U.S. and African nations to prioritise the establishment of the hubs, describing them as crucial for strengthening the supply chain of critical minerals needed for the global energy transition.
He said sustainable partnerships with Africa remain the fastest route to meeting rising global demand for critical minerals.
Alake also called for the development of regional industrial corridors similar to the Lobito Corridor.
According to him, corridors such as the Lagos–Abidjan route, spanning Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the Walvis Bay Corridor linking Southern and Central Africa to global markets, could unlock vast mineral potential across the continent.
He said such corridors would act as economic catalysts by driving infrastructure development, enhancing energy access and promoting regional integration.
“The development of nuclear power in one West African country, for instance, can service an entire corridor.
“With that in place, local beneficiation, technology transfer, manufacturing and cross-border industrialisation will naturally follow.
“If three to five such corridors are developed in Africa, we would significantly advance industrialisation across the continent, creating a win-win outcome for both Africa and the West,” he said.
Alake added that strengthened governance structures, improved regulatory frameworks, digitisation of licensing processes and enhanced ease of doing business have repositioned Nigeria’s mining sector as a key driver of economic diversification.
He said reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the past three years have guaranteed secure tenure for mineral title holders, providing the long-term stability required for investment decisions.
He stressed that the government is scaling up the generation of scientific, internationally certified geological data to support informed decision-making by local and international investors.
The minister acknowledged challenges in the sector, including insecurity, but noted that significant progress has been made through the establishment of mining marshals.
According to him, more than 350 suspected illegal miners, including foreign nationals, have been arrested within a year, while over 150 are currently being prosecuted, signalling government resolve.
He said Nigeria remains open to genuine investors who must comply strictly with local laws and regulations.
He listed key incentives as tax waivers on imported mining equipment and full repatriation of profits after due payment of royalties and taxes.
“We have successfully de-risked and sanitised the mining environment, making it conducive to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
“Within the last two and a half years, we have attracted over 2.6 billion dollars in FDI into the sector,” he said.
The Powering Africa Summit is an annual high-level international energy conference focused on strengthening U.S.-Africa energy partnerships.
The summit serves as a platform for dialogue on energy infrastructure development, investment strategies and the role of critical minerals in supporting the global energy transition.
The 11th edition focused on the theme “Powering the US-Africa Partnership: Energy Infrastructure, Critical Minerals and Investment Strategies.”
