One of Nigeria’s frontline environmental Non Governmental Organization (NGO), Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), has released a report on Chinese illegal activities in the solid mineral sector.
The report tagged; Silent Conquest: The Chinese Infiltration of Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Sector, was released on Thursday in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Philip Jakpor – Executive Director, RDI, said the report was influenced by RDI work in host communities across Nigeria where sold mineral is mined.
“In the communities we have visited either in Zamfara or Nasarawa, Niger or even Cross River, we have observed a common pattern. “Our natural resources are being extracted and carted away without recourse to the people and environment and the gaps in monitoring and regulation of the solid minerals sector makes us feel our government institutions are surrendering to foreign interests. “The report reminds us that Nigeria’s solid minerals sector holds as much potentials as oil and gas and when transparently harnessed and managed, could bring prosperity to the local communities and the nation at large. “Unfortunately, like oil and gas, we have observed that the solid mineral sector is opaque and allows players, especially the foreign players, to extract without responsibility, leaving host communities empty handed. “Our findings further show that the invasion of our country which most Nigerians fear has already happened and it is the Chinese that have invaded all the spaces where solid minerals like gold and transition minerals like lithium are found. From Nasarawa to Zamfara, Niger, Kwara, Ogun and Abia to Akwa Ibom the story is the same. Not only has the sector been captured, the players are not ready to play by our rules. That is the bad news. We only get some little succor from the activities of some agencies of government like the EFCC that has been up and doing in checkmating unlicensed and illegal mining. The EFCC has been very proactive and have their hands full with arrests, prosecutions and arraignments of illegal Chinese miners and their local collaborators. “The NSCDC has also been very active in that space. Disturbingly, we have seen some security agencies fighting each other to protect the illegal miners and the report also draws a nexus between illegal mining and terrorism currently ravaging the northern part of the country. “The recent proposal by governors of northern Nigeria to ban mining for six months to checkmate terrorism financing should set us thinking. It should make us ask questions and the answers are in plain sight. What we have documented in the report we are launching today is happening around us, it is happening in our communities. We read it, watch it and listen to it on radio. But if we continue to overlook or gloss over it, it will become a monster like we have seen in Nigeria’s Niger Delta where oil has become a curse. Are we going that path with solid minerals also? That is the big question that this report addresses.”
Similarly, Samuel Orovwuje – Co-Author, Silent Conquest, said the report is a call to attention, a call to accountability, and ultimately, a call to action.
“We gather here because the future of our nation’s mineral wealth—and the dignity of our communities who live on these lands—cannot be left to chance, silence, or external interests. “Silent Conquest began as a simple inquiry: How did Nigeria, a country blessed with vast solid minerals, become a landscape of unchecked extraction, foreign infiltration, and institutional vulnerability? “The answers we found were deeper and more consequential than we anticipated. What emerged was not just a narrative of illegal mining, but a story of governance failure, quiet incursions, and the gradual erosion of state authority across mineral-bearing regions. “This work is the product of months of research, careful documentation, and the difficult task of distilling complex incidents into a coherent national story. It draws on verifiable data, policy audits, investigative reports, field accounts, and official records. At every stage, we were guided by one principle: truth must serve the public interest. “But this launch is not about pointing fingers. It is about laying a foundation for reform. It is about insisting that Nigeria’s minerals do more than enrich shadow networks—that they contribute meaningfully to our economic diversification, industrial development, and collective prosperity. It is about strengthening the institutions that stand between national resources and global exploitation. And it is about ensuring that Nigeria’s sovereignty is neither negotiated nor quietly eroded under the weight of foreign interests and internal collusion. “As we unveil Silent Conquest today, we do so with humility, clarity of purpose, and a firm belief that evidence-based work can change the direction of public policy. I extend my deep appreciation to colleagues, reviewers, researchers, civil society partners, and every institution that contributes to the ongoing struggle for transparency and accountability in our extractive sector.”
On his part, Babatunde Jimoh – Member, Vanguard Editorial Board, who reviewed the report, said it is timely, rigorously compiled, and policy-relevant report that fills a critical gap in Nigeria’s extractive governance discourse. “As a reviewer, I find this work both compelling and necessary—an evidence-driven analysis that illuminates one of the most complex and least understood threats to Nigeria’s economic sovereignty: the rise of foreign-linked illegal mining networks. “The report distinguishes itself through its careful integration of official data from Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audits, enforcement records from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and a wide body of credible media and policy literature. For those who were curious about China’s particular interest in Nigeria’s spat with the United States following President Donald Trump threat to use lethal force on terrorists, the answer seems not to be far-fetched. The report captures the fact that Chinese nationals have been implicated in “rent payment” in terrorist strongholds in northern Nigeria to enable them access precious minerals. “The authors demonstrate an impressive ability to connect granular field-level events to broader patterns of national security risk, environmental decline, and governance failures. This strengthens the report’s credibility and positions it as an essential reference for policymakers, regulators, civil society actors, and researchers working on extractive governance. “One of the strongest contributions of this report is its balanced tone. While the subject matter is sensitive—touching on foreign involvement, state collusion, and high-value critical minerals—the analysis remains grounded in documented facts rather than speculation. The presentation of recent arrests, institutional failures, community impacts, and legislative proceedings is thorough and responsible. The narrative highlights systemic weaknesses without losing sight of the wider implications for Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda. “Equally important is the report’s framing of illegal mining as both an economic and a national security challenge. By linking resource theft to insecurity, community grievances, and environmental impacts, the author situates illegal mining within Nigeria’s broader governance landscape. This multidimensional approach is one of the report’s key strengths. “The recommendations presented are clear, actionable, and aligned with global best practices in natural resource governance. They underscore the urgent need for legal reform, stronger enforcement architecture, and accountability mechanisms capable of addressing both internal and external drivers of illicit extraction. “In sum, Silent Conquest: The Chinese Infiltration of Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Sector is a well-researched and courageously presented contribution to ongoing national debates on resource protection. It is a work that challenges institutions to confront uncomfortable truths, strengthens public understanding of emerging threats, and provides practical pathways for reclaiming state control of Nigeria’s mineral wealth. “It is important to mention a few things about the authors of the report. I make bold to say that they are competent to write about this issue. Philip Jakpor started his work career as a journalist in 2003 reporting the environment and agriculture. Even after leaving the newsroom in 2007, he has consistently engaged the media on a host of subjects concerning the environment including in the Niger Delta and in the mining communities in the north and Sam Orovwuje is a policy analyst and independent scholar. His research interests include sustainable development goals, African political development, and decolonial theory. “I commend the Revevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) and the authors for producing a report that is not only analytical but strategic—one that should guide decision-making at the highest levels of government and among all stakeholders committed to safeguarding Nigeria’s natural resources. “It is our hope that the relevant agencies of government like the EFCC and NSCDC already confronting this menace are further strengthened and provided the needed resources to continue their good work. “
