US to ‘deepen American investment’ in Nigeria’s mining sector

The United States and Nigeria have agreed a new deal to “deepen American investment in Nigeria’s mining sector,” as Washington uses its security relationships across Africa to secure access to critical minerals, African Business reports.

The agreement was reached on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September. Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake said it was “an important step in strengthening Nigeria-US cooperation around our mineral resources, valued at about $700bn.” The framework covers geological data, exploration, mineral processing, infrastructure and technical capacity.

The deal follows a thaw after a rocky period that included USAID’s closure, US visa restrictions and Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” late last year. Military cooperation has since deepened, including joint operations against Islamic State targets.

Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations said: “It has been a remarkable turnaround within a short period of time.”

Analyst Munira Raji urged Nigeria to negotiate for capability, not just investment.