The strategic visit of Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Minister, Mr Dele Alake to the United States, especially at the time the United Nations General Assembly UNGA is having its 81^st Annual General Meeting in New York reeks of a double fortune for Nigeria.

It’s a great opportunity for the major reason of the visit that is, the signing of a deal enabling a government to government mineral investment agreement, with a potential of generating upwards of $700billion US Dollars fortune in its wake. And this could remain a recurring phenomenon, like oil.

Signed on Wednesday 23^rd September, 2026 in New York by Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Minister, Dele Alake and United States Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau establishes a government to government business bond between the two countries, US and Nigeria.

The agreement is expected to be translated into specific projects, investments and commercial partnerships supporting economic diversifications while strengthening Nigeria’s position in global mineral markets.

First, let us look at the commercial advantages –

• It will result into faster, organized and coordinated exploration of mineral resources.
• It will enhance an improved geological data and expanded technical capacity in mining.
• Because local processing will be encouraged, it will add value, develop skills in transfer of technology thereby producing quality jobs and greater opportunities for Nigerian businesses.
• The deal will bring organized technology to the exploration of mineral resources on Nigeria’s soil.
• It will generate clean employment with the emergence of organized labor.
• It will revolutionize the mining sector with the eradication of the hydra-headed “illegal miners” malady or at the least reduce them to a remarkable minimum.
• It will bring or ship American mining technology into Nigeria’s soil.
• It would boost sales of whatever local raw material America would need to work with and give employment and patronage to our local folks.
• It would check or even eradicate banditry, piracy and allied crimes because America will be enforced to import security machinery to protect their interests. Banditry, terrorism and kidnapping in the mining areas, which are being presently checkmated in a roughshod manner by ragtag NSCDC men will be better managed.
• Local processing of raw mineral will be easy, less cumbersome and economy-friendly, more profitable, making exportation yield hard currency beyond what comes in as revenue from the partnership with America.
• It will boost our inter-trade relationship with America, even beyond mineral resources, going down to our political fraternity, to the disadvantage of opposition parties.
• It will stop or at least drastically reduce deaths of illegal miners who bury themselves daily inside deep holes that cave-in, in the aftermath of their digging inadvertently for minerals, not minding the synthetic nature of the soil they are digging, neither the topography of the environment.

However, there are a few disadvantages notwithstanding.  They are –

• America may not be willing to go, at the appropriate time. Donald Trump may want to declare the rich mineral infested parts of Nigeria, “American Territory” like Greenland, Strait of Hormuz and his botched attempt to make Canada America’s 51^st
• In another dimension, he may call for a review of the agreement, tagged “renewed deal” when he discovers that Nigeria’s goldfields are deeply inexhaustible.
• He may want to give an unpalatable deal as he does regularly with Iran, holding them to ransom perpetually. And the most unsavory part of it is that succeeding Republican presidents may uphold the tradition.

Meanwhile, the situation at home is unpalatable because our lands are invaded by all sorts of people from within and without the country desperately searching for mineral resources. They use local implements like diggers, shovels, hoes and all sorts of instruments to access the minerals buried deep in the earth.

There has been cases of organized technical mining and which is still going on, carried out by the Chinese, Caucasian and other nationals, with the expert connivance of top political and business allies and some State governors to execute these dastardly acts. Sometimes, and very often too, whole communities may have to be sacked or wiped out by hired bandits to give way and make room for illegal mining to take place.

The local people have opened eyes to join in the illegal mining because they find the job very lucrative in spite of its attendant high risks but they are adamant preferring to die than to leave the business of illegal mining. The law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigerian Security & Civil Defense Corps NSCDC have been stretched tight in curbing these illegal miners

Recently, 37 out of 67 of them died in the custody of the NSCDC officials in Minna, Niger State for which the Federal Government set up a 10-man investigative panel to probe the deaths.

Inaugurating the panel in Abuja, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo declared that no death would be allowed, especially when the victim is in the custody of the State. He stated further that any State officer found culpable in the death of any victim would be summarily dealt with while extending President Tinubu’s condolences to the families of the deceased illegal miners.

Meanwhile, the presidency has issued an official statement reaffirming government’s resolve to ensure that the matter was given due attention and whoever is guilty on the part of the NSCDC would be made to face the full weight of the law.

But whichever way it goes, Nigeria will be better if the deal is carefully made, with the future in mind. In conclusion, while the agreement lasts, it will strengthen bilateral relationships between Nigeria and the United States and President Tinubu’s government will take credit for it as the Dele Alake led Ministry of Solid Minerals will leave its footprint indelible in Nigeria’s history of solid mineral resource management.

Sola Ogunbanjo is a veteran Nigerian journalist and Publisher of OtaNEWS Community online newspaper. He is also a cleric. He can be reached on 08033595082. He writes from Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.