A northern socio-economic advocacy group has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani following the Federal Government’s announcement of a “world-class” polymetallic mineral discovery in Kaduna State — a find that officials say ranks among the most significant in Nigeria’s mining history.
The Arewa Development and Progress Forum (ADPF) described the development as a defining moment for the North and for Nigeria’s broader economic diversification ambitions, attributing the breakthrough to the investment-friendly environment being cultivated by both the federal and state governments.
“This is a defining moment for Kaduna State and indeed Nigeria,” said ADPF Founder Comrade Musa Garba Chikaji.
The discovery of the strategic minerals, according to him, ” is not only a validation of ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector but also a clear demonstration of the enormous untapped wealth that exists across Northern Nigeria.”
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, at the opening of the 5th African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2026) held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, themed “One Africa, One Resource Vision.” Alake told newsmen and stakeholders that it was the first time he was making the discovery public.
The find, which was verified by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), covers a polymetallic mineral province containing platinum group metals, gold, nickel, copper, lithium and rare earth elements of exceptionally high grades.
The discovery was made by Steron Mining and Company Limited, an indigenous company believed to have a remarkable origin story. The company is reported to be originally operated as a granite quarry before discovering lithium deposits during its operations and later identifying occurrences of tantalite.
The company’s Geologist, Bello Damulak, disclosed that exploration and drilling activities have identified total mineral resources estimated at 94.8 million metric tonnes, comprising 3.3 million metric tonnes of lithium and 91.4 million metric tonnes of granitic rock.
On his part, the Managing Director Abu Omar added that Steron Mining now processes lithium ore locally, increasing its purity from about one to three per cent to between six and seven per cent before export — precisely the kind of in-country value addition the Tinubu administration has been demanding of sector operators.
The Kaduna discovery, according to the group’s media statement, “does not stand alone. It arrives amid a broader surge in mining investment that the government says reflects the impact of its sector reforms.”
The group further stated that “Projects already committed include an $800 million lithium processing investment, a $600 million lithium processing facility in Nasarawa State, a $200 million lithium plant near Abuja awaiting commissioning and a $1 billion iron ore-to-steel project in Kogi State.
Comrade Chikaji, in the statement, added that “fiscal results have been equally striking. Annual mining revenue rose from approximately ₦6 billion at the inception of the current administration to over ₦38 billion in 2024 and approximately ₦68.1 billion by the end of 2025.”
It would be recalled that the Federal Government has also revoked more than 3,000 inactive and non-performing mineral titles as part of efforts to improve transparency and ensure that mining licences are held by operators with the capacity and intention to develop them.
