President of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Oba Ayandele Ayanleke Tuesday declared open the 2026 Nigeria Mining Week with a call for initiatives that promote investment, enhance safety, support artisanal and small-scale miners and drive compliance with global best practice.
Ayanleke, in his welcome address to delegates, noted that the over the past ten years, Nigeria Mining Week has led the conversations that have shaped the growth of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
“Last year, we marked a decade of this platform. This year we begin the next one. Over the past ten years, Nigeria Mining Week has led the conversations that have shaped the growth of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector”, he said.
“It has served as the place where innovative ideas are incubated, where emerging global technologies and methodologies are introduced to our operators, where national milestones in regulatory oversight are launched, where business linkages are formed and deals are closed with local and international investors, and where small-scale title holders and indigenous operators are educated on global best practice and local operating standards.”
Ayanleke said the theme for this 11th edition, “Unlocking Investment and Growth through Partnerships”, reflects a conviction the Association has held for many years: the strength of our sector lies in collaboration.
“Our partnership with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, with investors, with sponsors and with industry stakeholders has been instrumental in shaping policy, improving operational standards and building trust in the sector. No single party can carry the weight of the transformation Nigeria requires.”
Founded in 1944, the Miners Association of Nigeria remains the umbrella body for individuals and organisations engaged across the Nigerian mineral value chain, spanning exploration, mining, quarrying, mineral trading, consultancy and related services, with membership and chapters across all 36 states and the Federal
Capital Territory.
Its mandate is to protect and promote the interests of our members through partnership and collaboration with government agencies and all critical stakeholders, so that mining business in Nigeria becomes easier to do and more attractive to finance.
Ms Myriam El Kara, Founder of Sterling Acumen, spoke about the increasingly sophisticated global value chain in the solid minerals sector.
Mr Austin Menegbo, country manager for Segilola Resources, spoke of the range of jurisdictions that a mining firm has to negotiate in the course of its daily operations.
He therefore called for stronger coordination among MDAs, as well as transparent timelines for the resolution of inter agency issues.
Menegbo said the NMW is valuable because it brings together all stakeholders.
“But the sector’s transformation must not depend on a yearly conference,” he said, advocating for a standing forum for resolving issues. He also said official response to illegal mining must go beyond enforcement to include pathways to compliance.
Mr Cyril Azobu, partner and Mining Industry Lead at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria, noted that the Nigeria Mining Week has remained an important platform for conversations and partnerships shaping the development of the sector.
“Last year, as we marked a decade of the
event, we reflected on Nigeria’s journey from progress to global relevance. This year, our focus turns to what must come next: translating the progress made and the opportunities before us into
investment and sustainable growth.
Azobu said this year’s theme, “Unlocking Investment and Growth through Partnerships,” speaks directly to this Nigeria’s mineral potential is well established, but unlocking its full value requires more than mineral endowment.
To achieve this, he said, requires collaboration between government, mining companies, investors, financiers, communities and development partners to create the conditions for viable projects to attract capital, develop successfully and generate lasting economic value.
“Over the past year, there have been encouraging signs of progress and growing international interest in Nigeria’s critical minerals opportunity,” he said. “The recently signed critical minerals framework between Nigeria and the United States is a timely example of the partnerships that can connect Nigeria’s mineral potential with the investment, technology and expertise needed to develop it.
“We are also seeing greater emphasis on moving beyond the export of raw minerals towards domestic processing and value addition.”
Looking ahead, Azobu said, the priority should be to convert Nigeria’s mineral potential into bankable projects and productive assets. This will require government to continue creating an enabling and predictable investment environment, the private sector to develop credible and responsible projects, and investors and financial institutions to provide the capital required to move those projects
forward. It will also require partnerships that bring together local knowledge, international expertise, technology and finance.
“In an increasingly competitive global minerals market, Nigeria must position itself not simply as a source of raw minerals, but as a destination for investment, processing and value addition.”
Ambassador Anna Westerholm, Head of Mission of the Embassy of Sweden, spoke of the need for mining Ibusinesses to obey ESG rules.
She noted that traceability is becoming a huge advantage to companies and called on Nigerian firms to ensure that the products they aim to sell on the international market follows all legal compliance dictates.
She promises a partnership between Sweden and Nigeria on projects that puts the people first.
Ms Nere Emiko, Chief Executive Officer of Anka Metals, praised MAN for the consistency that has taken the NMW to the stage where it is today. She said the future of mining in Nigeria lies in beneficiation of materials.
