The United States is stepping up efforts to finance rare earth projects in Africa that have struggled to attract sufficient private capital, according to Reuters, as Washington seeks to diversify critical-mineral supply chains and reduce dependence on China. The move signals a growing role for government-backed capital in developing African mineral assets considered strategically important to the global technology and defence industries. Washington Targets a Financing Gap The emerging U.S. approach reflects a difficult reality in the rare earths market: geological potential alone has not been enough to bring many African projects into production. Rare earth developments can require substantial…
Author: Muffasir Mohammed
Nigeria and the United States have intensified cooperation in the critical minerals sector following high-level discussions at the White House aimed at expanding investment, strengthening mineral supply chains and advancing collaboration across the full mining value chain. The engagement reflects growing international interest in Nigeria’s mineral resources as governments seek to diversify supply sources for minerals essential to the global energy transition and advanced manufacturing. The meeting was led by Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, alongside a delegation from the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company (NSMC). They met with David Copley, Special Assistant to the U.S. President…
Mali is seeking to transform its mining sector into a catalyst for national infrastructure development, with the government announcing that a mining-backed infrastructure fund could leverage up to 500 billion CFA francs (approximately $800–880 million) to finance priority projects across energy, transport and water infrastructure. The initiative marks one of the clearest indications yet of how the country’s sweeping mining sector reforms are being translated into long-term development financing. Mining Reforms Begin to Shape Infrastructure Financing Speaking after the inaugural meeting of the Energy, Water and Transport Infrastructure Development Fund, Finance Minister Alousseni Sanou said the fund has already mobilised…
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire — Nigeria and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have called for a new continental strategy that gives African countries greater control over their critical mineral resources through local value addition, regional processing corridors, stronger geological data systems, and coordinated industrial policies. The call was made during the Ministerial Forum on Critical Minerals, Value Chains and Beneficiation held in Abidjan, where policymakers, development finance institutions and industry stakeholders examined how Africa can move beyond exporting raw minerals to capturing greater value from the global clean energy transition. Speaking at the forum, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr.…
PRESS RELEASE- NAIROBI, 22 July 2026. Following a directive by H.E. President Dr. William Samoei Ruto, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Hon. Hassan Ali Joho, today convened and chaired a high-level consultative meeting to fast-track the reopening of the Hillo Gold Mines in Marsabit County. The meeting was attended by the leadership of Marsabit County led by the Governor H.E. Mohamed Ali, who was accompanied by Members of Parliament Hon. Prof. Guyo Waqo Jaldesa (Moyale), Hon. Dido Rasso, Hon. Wario Adhe and Senator Hon. Mohamed Chute as well as Marsabit County Commissioner Mr. Stanley Kamande.…
New regulatory approvals move an Australian-backed 11-title lithium portfolio closer to development, signalling growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s critical minerals strategy and reinforcing the country’s ambitions to become a leading player in Africa’s battery minerals economy. Nigeria has taken another significant step towards establishing itself as a major destination for critical minerals investment following a series of regulatory approvals that advance Chariot Corporation’s acquisition of an 11-mineral-title portfolio from Continental Lithium Limited. The latest approvals by the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) include the transfer of three additional exploration licences—EL38148, EL67480 and EL68365—to Chariot’s Nigerian subsidiary, C&C Minerals Limited, subject…
Nigeria has launched the Early-Stage Mineral Exploration and Research Grant Endowment (EMERGE) Programme, a new intervention designed to address one of the most persistent constraints facing the country’s mining sector: insufficient exploration and geological knowledge. Unveiled by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development through the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), the initiative seeks to stimulate mineral discovery, strengthen research capacity, and accelerate value addition across Nigeria’s mineral value chain. Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, described the programme as a strategic tool for transforming Nigeria’s mining sector from a largely extractive industry into a more knowledge-driven and…
The announcement of Romulus Mining as the Title Sponsor of AFNIS 2026 marks more than a sponsorship milestone for the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit. It reflects a broader shift underway across Africa’s mining landscape; one in which indigenous companies are increasingly positioning themselves not only as operators, but as strategic actors shaping the continent’s long-term resource future. This partnership signals a deep alignment between AFNIS’ continental resource agenda and Romulus Mining’s expanding ambitions across Nigeria’s critical minerals and industrial resource value chains. For industry stakeholders, the development adds further weight to what is already emerging as one…
Nigeria is advancing efforts to reposition its solid minerals sector through the endorsement of the Solid Minerals Excellence Awards (SOMEA), an initiative designed to formalise standards, attract investment, and elevate the industry’s global profile. The programme, backed by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, reflects a broader policy shift to align sector performance with international benchmarks in transparency, safety, and sustainability. Scheduled to hold in May 2026 in Abuja, the awards are being positioned not merely as a recognition platform, but as a strategic instrument within Nigeria’s wider transition toward a post-oil economic model. Core Details The Solid Minerals…
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has called for the establishment of regional energy and industrial hubs across Africa as a strategic pathway to accelerate mining-led industrialisation and strengthen the continent’s role in global critical minerals supply chains. The proposal was presented at the Powering Africa Summit in Washington, D.C., where policymakers, financiers, and industry leaders convened to assess Africa’s positioning in the energy transition economy. At its core, the recommendation reflects a shift from country-level extraction models toward corridor-based industrial systems, linking infrastructure, energy, and mineral processing across borders. Core Details Alake emphasised that regional hubs —…