Nigeria can’t stay poor with its mineral wealth — Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has reiterated that Nigeria, blessed with vast solid mineral resources, has no justification to remain poor.

Speaking on Wednesday at the 2025 Nigeria Mining Week in Abuja, Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the nation must fully harness its natural endowments for prosperity.

“Nigeria has no reason to be poor, given our abundant resources and talented people. Our challenge is to harness these potentials to bring prosperity to all. Let us turn our minerals into miracles of development. ‘Minerals to Miracles’ must be our rallying cry,” he said.

Describing the Mining Week as a “global forum generating ideas for Nigeria’s economic renewal through collaboration,” Tinubu assured that the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring mining areas are safe for investors, workers, and host communities.

He further emphasised Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa, noting that a thriving mining sector would signal value-added resource development across the continent. “We must harness this wealth responsibly, ensuring that more value remains within our economies, creating jobs and industrial clusters,” Tinubu stated.

Deputy Director of Communications and Stakeholders Management at NEITI, Chris Ochonu, urged policymakers to build a transparent and harmonised regulatory framework to sustain growth and attract long-term investment.

Similarly, NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, said Nigeria’s mining sector was undergoing reforms to transform it from an underperforming space into a cornerstone of economic diversification.

According to him, the sector’s contribution to GDP remains below 1%, despite revenue growth from ₦339.57 billion in 2022 to ₦401.87 billion in 2023. He noted that artisanal and small-scale mining accounted for over 80% of production but contributed less than 30% of royalties, highlighting governance and structural gaps.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Alake, presented a report on ongoing reforms to transform the sector into a major driver of growth.

At a side event organised by the Kaduna Mining Development Company, Dr. Orji also stressed the importance of transparency and accountability in repositioning state-owned mining firms to attract investors and enhance productivity.