Liberia shuts China Union’s Bong Mines over environmental violations
Liberia's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enforced the closure of Bong Mines operations due to multiple environmental regulation breaches after two warnings to operator China Union since June 2024. The mines, located approximately 150km north-east of Monrovia, was taken over by China Union in 2008 with an investment of $2.6bn (HK$21.83bn). It made its first iron ore shipment in 2014...
New Mining Act designed to maximise economic benefits, boost GDP – Alake
The proposed amendment to the Mining Act of 2007 aims to maximize economic benefits and establish the solid minerals sector as a significant contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the near future, says Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake. He disclosed this on Friday, August 30, during a stakeholder meeting organised by the Ministry of...
Will Africa take control of its gold from the West?
By Vsevolod SviridovThe global crisis that has affected the entire world is compelling many countries to look for new ways to ensure their financial stability and independence. Record-high gold prices suggest a profitable direction to move in, and African countries understand this. However, because the West still mostly controls gold extraction in Africa, continent is forced to find a...
Australia invites Nigeria to attend African Down Under Conference in Perth
*Photo R-L: Dr Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development and the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Her Excellency Leilani Bin-Juda* In a significant move to bolster Nigeria-Australia relations in the mining sector, the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Her Excellency Leilani Bin-Juda, has paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Dele Alake. During the visit, the...
Niger State govt lifts ban on mining activities
The Niger State government has lifted its ban on mining activities in the state, a year after Governor Umaru Bago announced the restriction.Acting Governor Yakubu Garba, who announced the suspension at the Government House in Minna, outlined the conditions for mining companies to operate in the state.According to Garba, mining companies must approach the State Ministry of Mineral Resources...
Scramble for critical minerals spurs an African rail revival
Southern Africa’s railways are suddenly getting global attention and attracting billions of dollars in investment, with a race to secure copper supplies needed for the energy transition at its center. From Angola on the continent’s west coast to Tanzanian on the east, governments and investors are readying to revive decades-old rail lines that have fallen into disrepair and build new...
FG vows to avenge killing of 12 miners in Niger State, halts mining at attack scene
*Photo: Dr Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development* The Federal Government has pledged to avenge the murder of 12 miners shot to death by bandits at Unguwar Magro Village of Shiroro local Government Area of Niger State assuring that security agencies are on their trail and will soon bring them to face the wrath of the law. It also said...
Gold bars are worth a million dollars for the first time
For the first time ever, a bar of gold is worth a cool one million dollars. The milestone was reached Friday, when the precious metal’s spot price surpassed $2,500 per troy ounce, an all-time high. With gold bars typically weighing about 400 ounces, that would make each one worth more than $1 million. There are some nuances to the figure. While gold...
Rare Earth Metals: The Next Gold Rush to Challenge China
Norway recently announced its discovery of Europe’s largest proven deposit of highly prized rare earth metals, a group of 17 elements that are essential for a wide range of modern technologies. While they’re called “rare earth,” they are in fact not particularly rare in the Earth’s crust. However, they are often found in low concentrations and are difficult to extract...
China drives African lithium surge to lock in key battery metal
Chinese miners and refiners are driving a surge in African lithium output, shrugging off concerns over a glut to lock in future supplies of the critical battery metal. The continent is projected to account for almost 11% of global supply this year, compared with close to zero at the start of the decade, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. That’s...
