In a bid to strengthen the recently inaugurated Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission, Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Dr Dele Alake, and South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja to enhance cooperation in the mining sector.
Dr. Alake noted that the bilateral relations will drive industrialization, create jobs, and provide sustainable development across Africa. According to him, it builds on long diplomatic ties and a joint interest in growing Africa.
Among the key areas of mutual collaboration included in the MoU are, Capacity building in geological applications using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), utilization of multi- and hyper-spectral remote Sensing Technologies for mineral exploration and geological mapping, sharing of geoscientific data on strategic minerals through the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), training on mineral processing and value addition, Capacity Building on Elemental Fingerprint Technology using LA-ICP-MS, Exploration of Agro and Energy Minerals In Nigeria.
Alake emphasized the area of mutual benefit where South Africa, by accessing the untapped mineral resources of Nigeria, stands to benefit, while Nigeria stands to gain from South Africa’s mining expertise. According to him, this would lead to investment opportunities, skills transfer, and diversification of economies.
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Minister Mantashe explained that the partnership is one that South Africa believes in, adding that his visit was meant to fine-tune agreements from the Bi-National Commission and to push common projects forward. Both ministers pledged continued engagement to support intra-African trade and realize the strategic objectives of the MoU.
The signing of the MoU was witnessed by key members of the government, including Nigeria’s Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, as well as senior representatives from both countries, indicating a strong commitment among African countries to transform Africa’s mining landscape through cooperation and shared vision.
