The Federal Government of Nigeria has entered an agreement with France to work on joint projects and boost the value chain of the major minerals in the solid minerals sector of both countries.
According to the duo nations, the ties was to promote and diversify their economic potential.
The agreement revealed that important minerals including copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements are essential to clean energy technologies and that tapping into them would transform the two countries.
A statement by the Special Assistant on Media to Nigeria’s Minister for Solid Mineral Resources, Segun Tomori, disclosed that the pact will pave the way for new opportunities for the remediation of over 2,000 abandoned pits in the country.
It would be recalled that no fewer than 65 persons tragically lost their lives in separate mining pit collapse incidents across Nigeria.
Timori, while giving insights into the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both countries on the sidelines of the official visit of President Bola Tinubu to France, said France and Nigeria agreed to collaborate on research, training and Franco-Nigerian students exchanges for knowledge and skills transfer.
The Minister mentioned the promotion of sustainable mining activities by executing projects and programmes that tackle the environmental impact of mining on carbon emissions, water consumption, and climate change as a key component of the MOU signed by the two countries.
He said the two nations agreed to establish joint extractive and processing projects through co-financing by public and private entities to diversify and secure the supply of critical minerals and decarbonise energy projects critical to the value chain.
According to the statement, the Minister for Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake signed for Nigeria while the Inter-Ministerial delegate for Critical Ores and Metals of the Republic of France, Mr Benjamin Gallezot, signed on behalf of France.
The MOU entered by both nations revealed that they will adopt international best practices in the execution of projects conceptualised to improve the conditions of the local populace.
Alake said the partnership will increase the efforts of the Tinubu administration to reposition Nigeria’s solid minerals sector for international competitiveness, adding that the ministry would leverage the pact to open up the mining sector to French investors.
