Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, on Sunday, credited the rapid growth of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector to reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to Alake, the gains include an increase in the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP),more foreign direct investment and the country’s rising profile as the best destination for mining.

The Director-General of Minning Cadastre Office, Engineer Obadiah Nkom, disclosed at the just concluded Prospectors and Development Association of Canada (PDAC) conference held in Toronto, Canada.

The minister emphasised Nigeria’s readiness to partner with credible investors committed to responsible and sustainable mining in the country.

Addressing participants at the 27th Annual African Mining Breakfast, a high-level platform convening African ministers, industry leaders, and global investors for sustained dialogue on unlocking the continent’s mineral wealth, he conveyed the need for synergy among African countries to unlock the vast potentials in the sector.

The ministry’s delegation also participated at the International Mines Ministers Summit that had in attendance representatives from France, Chile, Saudi Arabia, DRC, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Canada, Egypt, Australia, IGF, World Economic Forum (WEF), amongst others.

Alake expressed the commitment of the Federal Government to promoting value addition within the solid minerals sector, stressing that Nigeria has moved beyond merely exporting raw minerals to emphasising local processing in order to ensure maximum beneficiation for citizens and the nation’s economy.

He also underscored the importance of stronger cross-border integration within the mining industry, adding that establishing structured agreements and coordinated policies would help unlock greater opportunities for trade, investment and shared infrastructure development across borders.

Alake said: “Integration does not fail because Africa lacks frameworks. It fails because projects stall between borders. A mine may be viable in one country, but the rail link, the power line, or the processing facility sits across the border. And no one institution takes responsibility for stitching these pieces together.

“I want to charge development finance institutions and strategic investors to go beyond funding local investments in isolation and start funding regional linking systems.

“Nigeria is ready to anchor such corridors. We have the data, the reforms and the political backing and all we need right now is capital that is structured for integration.”