Africa's top oil producer set to add rare earths to its list of prized exports after breakthrough discovery

Nigeria has made significant discoveries of platinum, lithium, as well as rare earth deposits, according to one of the West African country’s ministers.

• Nigeria has discovered significant deposits of platinum, lithium, and rare metals in Kaduna state, described as a breakthrough.
• The findings position Nigeria as a key destination for strategic mineral resources and sustainable mining investments.
• The government has revoked over 3,000 inactive mining titles to strengthen transparency and ensure committed operators control mineral assets.
• Efforts focus on boosting local value addition, shifting away from raw mineral exports, and promoting domestic processing requirements for mining leases.

Describing the discovery as a breakthrough, Dele Alake, the country’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, noted that the deposits were found in the Northern state of Kaduna, illustrated as a world-class polymetallic mineral province.

He made the announcement on Wednesday at the opening of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) 2026 in Abuja, the country’s capital.

The minister further detailed that the discovery is one of the biggest advancements in Nigeria's mining industry in recent years and was confirmed by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), as seen on PremiumTimes.

“This is the first time I am announcing this publicly,” the minister said.

“The province is notable for significant deposits of gold, nickel, copper, lithium, and rare earth elements of exceptionally high grades, positioning Nigeria among emerging destinations for strategic mineral resources and sustainable mining investment,” he added.

Developments in the minerals sector in Nigeria

In addressing prevailing sectoral challenges, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development stated that Nigeria has rescinded over 3,000 inactive and non-performing mineral titles.

This measure is intended to bolster transparency and ensure that mining licenses are exclusively maintained by operators possessing the requisite capacity for asset development.

“We have focused on restoring discipline in licensing, strengthening compliance, improving transparency, and ensuring that mineral assets are held by operators with the capacity and intention to develop them,” he noted.

Outside of controlling licences, the government intends to increase its control in the value chain by pivoting to production as well as extraction.

By forcing mining lease applicants to present plans for local processing and value addition, he added, the government is also attempting to shift away from exporting raw minerals.

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The minister detailed several significant initiatives, which include a $1 billion iron ore-to-steel project situated in Kogi State, an $800 million lithium processing investment, a $600 million lithium processing facility located in Nasarawa State, and a $200 million lithium plant near Abuja that is currently awaiting commissioning.

Furthermore, the minister observed that the mining sector has experienced a substantial increase in revenue since the implementation of these reforms.

He reported that annual revenue has escalated from approximately N6 billion prior to the current administration's tenure to over N38 billion in 2024, with projections reaching more than N70 billion by the conclusion of 2025.