…says agreement shrouded in secrecy
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has faulted the Federal Government over the reported $700 billion mineral investment framework with the United States, saying the details of the agreement should have been made public earlier for parliamentary scrutiny.
- …says agreement shrouded in secrecy
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Nigeria and the US signed the framework on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, with Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, signing the agreement. The framework covers geological data and exploration, mineral development and processing, infrastructure and technical capacity building.
Reacting to the development on his verified X handle @ShehuSani, Sani described the agreement as a commendable achievement but expressed concern over what he considered insufficient disclosure of its details.
According to him, making the terms public before the signing would have allowed the National Assembly to scrutinise the agreement and ensure that Nigeria’s national interests, as well as those of communities hosting mineral resources, were adequately protected.
“The reported signing of a $700 billion mineral exploration deal between Nigeria and the US on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly is a commendable achievement.
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“But the details of the deal should have been earlier made public for at least parliamentary scrutiny; that would ensure our national interests and the interests of the host communities are well protected,” Sani said.
He cautioned the Federal Government against allowing the agreement to become merely a mechanism for replacing Chinese mining interests or appeasing any foreign power.
“The deal should not just be a swap to replace the Chinese miners or appease anyone,” he said.
Sani also urged the government to give adequate consideration to the security challenges in communities hosting strategic minerals, including lithium, gold, rare earth minerals and uranium.
“Taking cognisance of the fact that most of the communities that host these precious minerals like lithium, gold, rare earth and uranium are infested by bandits, security issues must be factored,” he said.
The former senator argued that the implications of the agreement went beyond economics, stressing that mineral resources were also connected to national sovereignty and long-term strategic interests.
“A mineral deal is not just an economic issue but also a sovereignty issue that must be treated seriously,” he said.
He further warned that agreements involving major powers could have long-term consequences for Nigeria.
“When you sign a deal with a superpower, you can’t easily ‘unsign’. This is a deal where even the unborn generation is chained to it,” Sani said.
The Federal Government has described the framework as a basis for attracting American investment into Nigeria’s estimated $700 billion mineral resources, with emphasis on local processing, infrastructure, skills development and stronger mineral value chains.
Alake said implementation would involve identifying viable projects, mobilising investments and building commercial partnerships.