Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has vowed that the country’s $750 billion mineral sector potential will drive the continent’s mining transformation.

He also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to positioning Africa as a globally competitive mining destination, following his confirmation to participate in African Mining Week (AMW) 2026, scheduled to take place in South Africa.

Speaking after a high-level meeting in Abuja with the leadership of Energy Capital and Power, organisers of African Mining Week, Dr Alake said Nigeria’s participation comes at a defining moment for the continent’s mining sector, following the President’s recent ratification of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) Charter and his investiture as the inaugural Chairperson of the AMSG Ministerial Steering Committee.

“Nigeria is committed to leading a new era of African mining built on regional cooperation, responsible resource governance, value addition and increased African participation across strategic mineral value chains. African Mining Week provides an important platform to translate this vision into practical partnerships, coordinated policies and sustainable investment outcomes,” he said.

Alake noted that Nigeria’s leadership within AMSG reinforces its role as one of Africa’s foremost mining jurisdictions and a key driver of continental mineral policy.

“As Chairperson of the AMSG Ministerial Steering Committee, I look forward to working with fellow African ministers, investors and industry leaders to strengthen policy coordination, unlock investment opportunities and advance regional industrialisation through our mineral resources,” he added.

He explained that African Mining Week has evolved beyond an investment conference into one of the continent’s foremost platforms for governments, investors, development finance institutions and mining executives to shape Africa’s collective mining agenda.

He highlighted the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms aimed at transforming Nigeria’s mining industry, including efforts to unlock an estimated $750 billion in untapped mineral resources, increase the sector’s contribution to national GDP to 10 per cent, expand exploration activities, strengthen geological intelligence, promote local mineral beneficiation and create a more competitive investment climate.

According to him, Nigeria is also deepening strategic partnerships with African countries, including South Africa and South Sudan, recognising that Africa’s long-term competitiveness in the global minerals economy will depend on stronger regional collaboration, integrated markets, cross-border infrastructure and shared industrial development.

One of the major features of the conference will be the AMSG Ministerial and CEO Roundtable, which will bring together ministers, development finance institutions, sovereign wealth funds, mining companies, national mining corporations and strategic investors to advance discussions on regional policy coordination, strategic financing, value addition, cross-border infrastructure and public-private partnerships.

He said the roundtable will also spotlight flagship AMSG initiatives, including the proposed Africa Minerals and Metals Exchange (AMME), mineral tokenisation frameworks, continental geological mapping programmes, regional mineral market integration and innovative financing mechanisms designed to mobilise investment and strengthen Africa’s position in global strategic mineral supply chains.