ABSTRACT
The global energy transition has repositioned Nigeria’s solid minerals sector from a policy aspiration into a strategic imperative. Sitting atop confirmed reserves of lithium, copper, niobium, tantalum, manganese, and rare earth elements across 44 other mineral types, Nigeria holds an estimated $700 billion in unexplored mineral wealth. A confluence of legislative reform, institutional modernisation, and surging global demand for energy transition minerals now presents a compelling, if time-limited, window for international investors. This article examines the legal architecture governing entry, the trajectory of ongoing reforms, the key structural risks associated with the mining sector in Nigeria.
