FG reveals major mineral deposits found in Kaduna

The Federal Government has revealed the discovery of a large mineral area in Kaduna State. This area has deposits of platinum group metals, gold, nickel, copper, lithium, and rare earth elements.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, shared this news on Wednesday. He spoke at the start of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) 2026 in Abuja.

Mr Alake said the discovery was confirmed by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA). He called it one of the most important developments in Nigeria’s mining sector in recent years.

The mineral area was found through exploration done by a private company with help from the geological agency. "This is the first time I am announcing this publicly," the minister said.

He mentioned that the deposits include important minerals needed worldwide for clean energy, battery production, and advanced manufacturing.

“The area is known for large deposits of gold, nickel, copper, lithium, and rare earth elements of very high grades. This puts Nigeria among the new places for important mineral resources and sustainable mining investment,” he added.

Mr Alake said this discovery is part of the federal government’s plan to make the mining sector a key player in economic growth and industrialization.

He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration has made the solid minerals sector a priority as part of its strategy to diversify the economy. This includes reforms to attract investment, strengthen rules, and encourage local processing.

The minister noted that the government has cancelled over 3,000 inactive and non-performing mineral titles. This is to improve transparency and ensure mining licenses go to those who can develop them.

“We have focused on restoring order in licensing, strengthening compliance, improving transparency, and ensuring that mineral assets are held by operators who can and want to develop them,” he explained.

He said the government aims to reduce exporting raw minerals. Mining lease applicants must now submit plans for local processing and value addition.

He highlighted that this policy has led to more investment in lithium processing facilities and mineral refining projects around the country.

Some projects mentioned by the minister include an $800 million investment in lithium processing, a $600 million lithium processing facility in Nasarawa State, a $200 million lithium plant near Abuja waiting to open, and a $1 billion iron ore-to-steel project in Kogi State.

The minister noted that revenue from the mining sector has grown a lot since the reforms started. Annually, revenue jumped from about N6 billion before the current government took over to more than N38 billion in 2024. By the end of 2025, it exceeded N70 billion.

“Our revenue performance has improved a lot,” he said.

This announcement came as Steron Mining and Company Limited revealed around 3.3 million metric tonnes of lithium reserves during a tour of its mining site in Abuja for summit attendees.

Managing Director Abu Omar said the visit showed the role of local companies in developing Nigeria’s important minerals sector. Mr Omar stated that the company currently works on both open-pit and underground mining. They have expanded from their initial granite quarry operations after finding lithium deposits.

“We later discovered lithium and have now found tantalite. Exploration activities are ongoing, and the prospects remain encouraging,” he added.

The company also processes lithium ore locally before export, following government policies that encourage value addition.

The company’s geologist, Bello Damulak, stated that exploration and drilling activities have found total mineral resources of about 94.8 million metric tonnes at the site. This includes an estimated 3.3 million metric tonnes of lithium reserves and about 91.4 million metric tonnes of granitic rock.

The African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit gathers government officials, investors, financiers, and industry players. They discuss mining, energy development, infrastructure funding, and investment opportunities across Africa.