Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has urged world-class mining contractors, engineering firms, and equipment manufacturers to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in the country’s mining sector.

Mr Alake made the call at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) between Dukia Gold & Precious Metals Refining Company Limited and SGS Bateman in Cape Town, South Africa.

The MoU was secured on the sidelines of the Investing in African Mining Indaba held in Cape Town, South Africa.

The minister, who also wooed outsourced mining service providers, said the mining sector remained central to Nigeria’s economic diversification strategy.

Mr Alake underscored Nigeria’s growing recognition as an emerging hub for critical and strategic minerals, with increasing emphasis on assured provenance, responsible sourcing, and traceability.

He highlighted the impact of deliberate reforms introduced by the federal government to unlock opportunities across Nigeria’s mining and minerals value chain.

According to him, these reforms include improved regulatory clarity, streamlined licensing processes, investor-friendly fiscal incentives, and prioritisation of infrastructure to support mineral development and beneficiation.

Mr Alake assured foreign investors of the federal government’s commitment to leveraging the full benefits of Nigeria’s status as a signatory to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment to safeguard their investments.

The treaty standardises transactions involving movable property, registration of sales contracts, security interests, leases, and conditional sales agreements, as well as legal remedies in cases of default, including repossession and bankruptcy proceedings.

According to the minister, the federal government recognises the treaty’s strategic importance and will continue to provide an enabling environment for credible investors and technical partners to succeed.

Mr Alake added that he was looking forward to structured requests for proposals and expressions of interest (EOIs) from various work streams.

He said the Dukia–SGS Bateman partnership was a significant milestone and a strong signal of Nigeria’s rising profile in the global mining value chain.

”Our ambition is clear: to grow mining beyond its historic role and position it as a strategic contributor to national GDP, foreign exchange earnings, and industrial competitiveness.

”We strongly encourage partnerships that include capable Nigerian firms to strengthen local content participation and domestic value retention.

“I commend Dukia Gold and SGS Bateman for their commitment to this partnership and for their confidence in Nigeria’s mining future,” Mr Alake said.

In his remarks, the chairman of Dukia Gold & Precious Metals Refining Company Limited, Tunde Fagbemi, described the MoU as a strategic step toward feasibility-driven execution and long-term mineral beneficiation.

He said the MoU marked the beginning of a structured EPCM partnership to advance the Dukia–Arinola Project toward feasibility and disciplined execution.

(NAN)