The twin announcements were made at the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit 2026 in Abuja, highlighting the country’s growing ambition to position mining as a major pillar of economic diversification beyond oil.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake described the Kaduna discovery as a landmark breakthrough that could elevate Nigeria’s standing in the rapidly expanding global market for critical minerals used in clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.
Unveiling the discovery publicly for the first time, Alake described it as a milestone for Nigeria’s mining sector, saying the exceptionally high-grade deposits could position the country among emerging global hubs for strategic minerals and sustainable mining investment.
According to the minister, the newly identified mineral province contains high-grade deposits of platinum group metals, gold, nickel, copper, lithium, and rare earth elements.
“Recent exploration breakthroughs verified by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency have unveiled a world-class polymetallic mineral province in Kaduna State, with significant deposits of gold, nickel, copper, lithium and rare earth elements,” Alake said.
Alake said the discovery was made by a private company (Steron Mining) in collaboration with the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), which subsequently verified the findings.
A boost to Nigeria’s critical minerals ambitions
Alongside the Kaduna announcement, Steron Mining and Company Limited disclosed that it has identified an estimated 3.3 million metric tonnes of lithium reserves at its Abuja mining site.
The announcement comes as countries around the world intensify competition for critical minerals needed to manufacture electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy infrastructure, semiconductors, and defence technologies.
Lithium, nickel, platinum group metals and rare earth elements have become increasingly valuable as governments accelerate the global energy transition and seek to diversify supply chains away from traditional producers.
Nigeria has long been recognized for its vast untapped mineral wealth, but the sector has historically contributed only a small share of the country’s gross domestic product compared with crude oil.
If successfully developed, the newly discovered mineral province in Kaduna and the lithium reserves near Abuja could mark an important step in Nigeria’s efforts to become a leading supplier of critical minerals at a time when global demand continues to rise.
Source: africabusinessinsider