Over 2,000 abandoned mining pits in the country are to be revived under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Nigerian and French governments.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, following the signing of the MOU by the two countries during last week visit by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to France.
The statement signed by Alake’s senior special assistant on media, Segun Tomori, said the MOU is expected to open new opportunities for the remediation of over 2,000 abandoned pits in the country through its plan to intervene in environmental rehabilitation and post-mining projects.
Alake further said that the MOU has boosted President Tinubu’s efforts at repositioning the country’s solid minerals sector for international competitiveness.
He stated that both countries agreed to develop joint projects to promote and diversify the critical minerals value chain in the solid minerals sector of both countries.
According to the statement, the two countries identified critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt as rare earth elements that are essential to clean energy technologies.
The key component of the MOU according to the statement is the promotion of sustainable mining activities by executing projects and programmes that reduce the environmental impact of mining on carbon emissions, water consumption, and climate change.
It also includes the establishment of joint excrative 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.
Under the MOU both countries agreed to collaborate on research, training and Franco-Nigerian students exchanges for knowledge and skills transfer.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Alake signed for the country while the Inter-Ministerial delegate for Critical Ores and Metals of the Republic of France, Mr Benjamin Gallezot, signed on behalf of France.
Both nations agreed to adopt international best practices in the execution of projects conceptualised to improve the conditions of the local populace affected by mining whilst placing premium on transparency.
Through regular bilateral and multilateral training, seminars, and events, administrators of institutions in the critical metals sector are expected to improve their capacity to manage the sector’s value chain.
Describing the deal as a boost to the efforts of the Tinubu administration to reposition Nigeria’s solid minerals sector for international competitiveness, Alake stressed that the ministry would leverage the partnership to open up the mining sector to French investors.