ABUJA/Nigeria: The Federal Government is seeking to deepen engagement with investors in energy, infrastructure and mining as preparations intensify for the maiden Nigeria NOW! Global Investors Expo scheduled for November 19 and 20 in Abuja.
The two-day investment forum, being organised by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in partnership with EnergyNet, is expected to attract between 500 and 600 delegates to the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
The event is being held under the patronage of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, with the ministry taking an active role in the preparations rather than limiting its participation to the conference itself.
Speaking at the Abuja launch through the Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office, Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom, Alake said the participation of multiple government ministries was necessary because investors often require information and decisions that cut across different areas of government responsibility.
He identified infrastructure, licensing, financing, technology, security and market access as some of the issues that require coordination among government institutions.
The expo is expected to focus on projects and investment opportunities across the energy, infrastructure and mining sectors, bringing government officials together with investors, project developers, financial institutions and development partners.
A major focus of the government’s pitch to investors is its policy of encouraging local processing of mineral resources rather than exporting them in their raw form.
Under the policy, mining licences are tied to plans for local processing. The government has linked the approach to a number of investments, including a $1.3 billion partnership with the Africa Finance Corporation involving an alumina refinery, geological mapping and exploration support, as well as lithium-processing projects valued at $600 million and $200 million respectively.
The Federal Government also points to the lithium processing facility at Endo in Nasarawa State as evidence of the emerging value-addition drive. The plant, inaugurated on July 2, has a stated processing capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes of ore per day.
The solid minerals sector generated more than ₦38 billion in revenue in 2024, compared with about ₦6 billion the previous year, according to figures previously released by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
The investment discussions will also extend to electricity and infrastructure, with the organisers highlighting developments arising from the Electricity Act 2023 and the growing role of subnational governments in electricity regulation.
According to the organisers, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight to 16 subnational electricity commissions, while investment in distributed renewable energy and industrial self-generation is also expanding.
Abdoulaye Sylla, Portfolio Manager and Head of Corporate Development at EnergyNet, said the objective was to make Nigeria NOW! a platform that produces tangible investment outcomes beyond the event itself.
He said the organisers expected between 500 and 600 delegates and that the expo had been designed around project delivery, capital mobilisation and partnerships rather than announcements alone.
Several organisations have joined the initiative as partners, including Nextier as Official Advisory Partner, the Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resources Organisation as Women in Mining Partner, the Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as Lagos State Sponsor and The Electricity Hub as Official Podcast Partner.
The Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resources Organisation was also recognised during the Abuja launch with EnergyNet’s Leadership Award and a $25,000 grant. The organisation has expanded its work with women artisanal miners from three states to all six geopolitical zones, with its programme covering training, protective equipment, medical outreach and cooperative registration.
A Youth Energy Summit, YES! Nigeria, is also scheduled for November 20 alongside the expo. It is expected to bring young professionals and entrepreneurs into discussions with investors, government institutions and industry stakeholders.
The organisers say the broader objective of Nigeria NOW! is to position Nigeria as an investment destination by connecting available opportunities with the capital, expertise and partnerships required to move projects from proposals to implementation.
