NIGERIA’S MINING REFORMS GAIN GLOBAL RECOGNITION
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
Nigeria’s solid minerals reforms are drawing global praise as the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, received an international award for outstanding public service in the United States.
The South Carolina House of Representatives honoured Dr. Alake during the African Leadership Public Service Excellence Awards held at the City University of New York, alongside the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
Presenting the award, Dr. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers commended Alake’s leadership in transforming Nigeria’s mining industry for global competitiveness. The South Carolina legislature also passed a formal motion recognising his achievements as a journalist, strategist, and reformist leader.
Former New York Senator Aaron T. Manaigo highlighted Alake’s four-decade journey from journalism and pro-democracy activism to public administration, noting his impact as Minister of Solid Minerals.
In his remarks, Dr. Alake dedicated the honour to Nigerians, vowing to sustain reforms anchored on transparency, innovation, and value addition. He cited initiatives such as Mining Marshals, satellite monitoring, revocation of inactive licences, and digitisation to boost investor confidence.
Alake reaffirmed Nigeria’s policy of local mineral processing to create jobs and drive industrial growth, an advocacy that led to the creation of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), which he now chairs.
He urged global investors to support Africa’s mining value chains, emphasising that “Africa must take charge of its resources to ensure sustainable growth.”
Observers say the honour cements Alake’s image as a reform-driven technocrat and showcases Nigeria’s rising influence in global mining and resource governance.