The Federal Government has announced the discovery of a major polymetallic mineral province in Kaduna State containing platinum group metals, gold, nickel, copper, lithium and rare earth elements.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed this on Wednesday at the opening of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit 2026 in Abuja.
Alake said the discovery, verified by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, was made by a private company working in collaboration with the agency.
According to him, the newly identified mineral province contains high-grade deposits of strategic minerals that are increasingly important for clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.
He described the find as one of the most significant developments in Nigeria’s mining sector in recent years and said it could strengthen the country’s position in the global critical minerals market.
“The discovery represents a major milestone in our efforts to unlock the vast potential of Nigeria’s mineral resources and attract greater investment into the sector,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that Steron Mining and Company Limited had identified an estimated 3.3 million metric tonnes of lithium reserves at its Abuja mining site.
He said delegates attending the summit toured the facility as part of efforts to showcase Nigeria’s growing mining industry and increasing investment in local mineral processing.
Alake said the Federal Government was implementing reforms aimed at transforming the mining sector into a key driver of economic growth and industrialisation.
According to him, the government has shifted focus from the export of raw minerals to encouraging local processing, refining and value addition.
He revealed that more than 3,000 dormant and non-performing mineral titles had been revoked to improve compliance, discourage speculation and ensure licences were held by operators capable of developing them.
The minister said investors had committed billions of dollars to mineral processing projects across the country.
He listed some of the projects as an 800 million dollar lithium processing investment, a 600 million dollar lithium processing factory in Nasarawa State, a completed 200 million dollar lithium facility near Abuja awaiting commissioning and a 50 million dollar lithium processing plant in the Federal Capital Territory currently expanding operations.
Alake further reported significant growth in government revenue from the mining sector.
He said annual revenue increased from about N6 billion before the current administration took office to more than N38 billion in 2024 and exceeded N70 billion by the end of 2025.
The minister called for stronger collaboration among African countries in developing natural resources, stressing the need for regional integration, value addition and industrialisation.
Speaking at the summit, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Steron Mining, Abu Omar, said the company organised the site tour to demonstrate the role of indigenous firms in developing critical mineral resources.
Omar explained that the company began operations as a granite quarry before discovering lithium deposits and later identifying tantalite occurrences.
He noted that lithium remained one of the most sought-after minerals globally due to its importance in battery production and renewable energy technologies.
According to him, the company processes lithium locally to improve purity levels before export in line with government policies promoting value addition.
Also speaking, the company’s geologist, Bello Damulak, said exploration and drilling activities at the site had identified total mineral resources estimated at 94.8 million metric tonnes.
He said the figure comprised approximately 3.3 million metric tonnes of lithium and 91.4 million metric tonnes of granitic rock.
The summit brought together government officials, investors, financiers and industry leaders to discuss mining, energy, infrastructure financing and resource development across Africa.
Participants focused on regional cooperation, critical minerals development, value addition and industrialisation amid rising global demand for minerals used in clean energy technologies.
