Nigeria and the Republic of Türkiye have taken a major step in deepening their economic ties, signing a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the solid minerals sector on the sidelines of the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit in Istanbul.
The agreement was signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar.
Speaking at the ceremony, Alake said Nigeria is ready to leverage Türkiye’s technological advancement and expertise in mining exploration, training, digitisation, licensing systems, and capacity building to accelerate reforms and growth within the sector.
He further disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given full backing to efforts aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with Türkiye in the mining and energy sectors.
On his part, Bayraktar described the partnership as “strategic and timely,” noting that rising global competition for critical minerals and energy security was increasing the importance of international resource cooperation.
He also indicated Türkiye’s interest in renewing energy cooperation and contracts with Nigeria, adding that Türkiye is strategically expanding its engagement with African markets, with Nigeria positioned as a critical gateway for broader economic and energy interests on the continent.
The agreement signals a growing push by the Tinubu administration to attract foreign technical partnerships into Nigeria’s largely underdeveloped solid minerals sector, which the government has identified as a key driver of economic diversification.
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