Nigeria has intensified efforts to attract American investment into its solid minerals sector, with the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, leading a delegation from the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company (NSMC) to the White House for high-level discussions on critical minerals development and strategic investment.

The meeting, held in Washington, D.C., brought together the Nigerian delegation with David Copley, Special Assistant to the U.S. President and Senior Director for Global Supply Chain at the U.S. National Security Council, alongside Diana London of DCI Group.

According to the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Bamigbetan, the delegation remains in the United States as it continues engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and securing investments in Nigeria’s mining industry.

The discussions focused on expanding the Nigeria–United States strategic partnership by attracting greater American investment into the country’s solid minerals sector and advancing collaboration across the critical minerals value chain.

Areas of cooperation explored include geological exploration, mining, mineral processing, value addition, refining, and the development of secure and resilient supply chains for minerals critical to the global clean energy transition.

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development said the engagement forms part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to position itself as a preferred destination for responsible mining investment and downstream mineral processing, leveraging its abundant deposits of critical minerals needed for renewable energy technologies.

According to the ministry, the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation and the attraction of strategic foreign direct investment.

Officials said the talks also underscore growing economic cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, with both countries seeking to deepen investment-driven partnerships that promote sustainable mineral development, local value addition and shared economic prosperity.

The ministry added that the engagement reflects Nigeria’s commitment to unlocking the full potential of its solid minerals sector while integrating the country more deeply into global critical minerals supply chains.