The Federal Government on Wednesday announced the discovery of a world-class mineral province in Kaduna State containing significant deposits of platinum group metals, lithium, gold, nickel, copper and rare earth elements, a development expected to strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global critical minerals market.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, revealed the discovery during the opening ceremony of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit 2026 in Abuja.
According to the minister, the discovery was confirmed by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency following exploration activities carried out by a private company in collaboration with the agency. He described the find as one of the most significant breakthroughs recorded in Nigeria’s mining sector in recent years.
Alake said the newly discovered mineral province contains exceptionally high-grade deposits that are increasingly sought after globally for clean energy technologies, battery production and advanced manufacturing.
“The province is notable for significant deposits of gold, nickel, copper, lithium and rare earth elements of exceptionally high grades, positioning Nigeria among the emerging destinations for strategic mineral resources and sustainable mining investment,” he said.
The minister noted that the discovery aligns with the administration of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to transform the solid minerals sector into a key driver of economic diversification and industrial growth.
He said the government has implemented reforms aimed at improving transparency, strengthening compliance and encouraging local value addition, including the revocation of more than 3,000 dormant mining licences.
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Alake added that the policy shift has attracted substantial investments into mineral processing projects, particularly in the lithium value chain, with several processing plants already completed or under development across the country.
The announcement came as Steron Mining and Company Limited disclosed that it had identified an estimated 3.3 million metric tonnes of lithium reserves at its Abuja mining site during a facility tour for summit participants.
Managing Director of the company, Abu Omar, said the firm is contributing to Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a major player in the global energy transition through local mining and processing operations.
Meanwhile, company geologist Bello Damulak revealed that exploration activities at the site have identified total mineral resources estimated at 94.8 million metric tonnes, including lithium and granite deposits.
The development is expected to boost investor confidence in Nigeria’s mining industry as the country seeks to expand local processing, increase exports and create jobs through the growing demand for critical minerals worldwide.