Turkey Expands Mining Partnership With Nigeria Amid Push For Critical Minerals
Turkey is strengthening its presence in Nigeria’s mining sector despite ongoing security concerns, as both countries signed a new agreement aimed at deepening cooperation in mineral development and exploration.
The agreement, signed during the 2nd Istanbul Natural Resources Summit, is expected to boost collaboration in mining technology, geological exploration, digital mining systems and capacity building.
Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, signed the deal alongside Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake.
According to Alake, the partnership aligns with ongoing reforms by the Nigerian government to reposition the mining industry and make it more transparent, regulated and attractive to investors.
“This partnership opens the door to greater collaboration in mining technology, exploration, digitisation and capacity building. We remain committed to building a mining sector that is transparent, secure and attractive to serious investors,” Alake said.
He added that the Federal Government has, over the past three years, introduced reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and tackling illegal mining activities across the country.
“These efforts are already restoring investor confidence and driving greater interest in our mining sector,” he stated.
Bayraktar noted that both countries first signed a mining cooperation agreement in 2021, explaining that the latest deal is designed to transform the relationship into a more practical and result-oriented partnership.
“We believe we will take our partnership with Nigeria in energy and natural resources to a much higher level with a win-win approach,” the Turkish minister said.
The agreement comes at a time when many African countries are tightening control over their mineral resources through stricter regulations, localisation policies and increased state participation in mining operations.
Countries such as Ghana and Zimbabwe have recently taken steps to assert greater influence over mining assets and increase local value retention from critical minerals.
Industry observers say Africa is becoming a major battleground for global competition over critical minerals, with countries like China and Turkey adopting different approaches to secure access to the continent’s resources.
While China continues to dominate through large-scale investments and infrastructure-for-resources deals, Turkey appears to be focusing more on technical cooperation, exploration support and capacity development rather than direct ownership of mining assets.
Nigeria’s latest agreement with Ankara reflects this growing strategy, as the country seeks to modernise its mining industry and reduce dependence on crude oil revenues.
