Nigeria is positioning its mineral wealth, expanding energy market and major infrastructure projects as investment opportunities for international capital, as the government prepares to bring investors face-to-face with project developers and policymakers at the Nigeria NOW! forum in Abuja on November 19–20.
The forum, to be held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, will provide a platform for detailed discussions on bankable projects across mining, power, transport and infrastructure, as Africa’s largest economy seeks to attract investment that can support industrialisation, domestic processing and export growth.
Among the opportunities being presented is a mineral province in Kaduna State containing platinum group metals, gold, nickel, copper, lithium and rare earth elements. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development announced the discovery in June, describing it as world-class, with the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency verifying the findings.
Nigeria is also seeking to move beyond mineral extraction towards domestic processing and value addition. Projects include lithium facilities valued at $600 million in Nasarawa State and $200 million near Abuja, alongside a $400 million rare earth processing project in Nasarawa. Mining lease applicants are now required to submit value-addition plans, reflecting the government’s push to retain more economic benefits within the country.
The sector has recorded a substantial increase in revenue, rising from approximately 6 billion naira before the current administration to more than 70 billion naira by the end of 2025.
Infrastructure development is another focus of the investment drive. The Federal Executive Council has approved deep seaport projects at Bakassi and Ondo under public-private partnership arrangements. The proposed Bakassi port alone is valued at $2.27 billion, highlighting the scale of capital required to expand Nigeria’s maritime capacity and improve access to international markets.
With the forum approaching, the government is preparing to use investor boardrooms to examine individual projects in greater detail, bringing together public officials, financiers, developers and prospective investors. Discussions will cover large-scale infrastructure developments and multilateral initiatives, including Mission 300, which aims to expand electricity access across Africa.
Tunde Arisekola, Senior Adviser for Geological and Minerals Information at the African Minerals Development Centre, is scheduled to participate in the minerals session on the first day.
Speaking to Energy News Network in September, Arisekola said international investors attending the Abuja gathering should understand that “first and foremost all international investors coming to Abuja should understand that Nigeria is ready and open for business”.
He also described Nigeria’s economy as “stable, safe, peaceful and welcoming to all international investors”.
The programme will open with remarks from the chief host, Oladele Henry Alake, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development. Subsequent sessions will examine how the Ministry of Power intends to expand capacity to serve industrial hubs and how government policies can attract foreign investment into mining, particularly through domestic processing and value addition.
The second day will focus on transport and port infrastructure opportunities, the proposed $1 billion Domestic Green Bond and an investors’ clinic examining the 2025 Tax Act.
Lagos State will feature prominently in discussions on electricity market reform. The state government, a Nigeria NOW! partner, has assumed responsibility for regulating its electricity market following the transfer of oversight by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Biodun Ogunleye, Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, told Energy News Network that “capital follows bankable cashflows”.
He said the state’s responsibility was “to create both the infrastructure plan and the commercial architecture that makes that plan financeable”.
The emphasis on commercially viable projects reflects a wider challenge facing Nigeria and other African economies: converting natural resources and infrastructure ambitions into investments capable of generating predictable returns, creating jobs and supporting domestic industries.
Youth entrepreneurship and industrialisation
Alongside the main programme, YES! Nigeria will run on November 20 under the theme “Empowering Today’s Entrepreneurs, Building Tomorrow’s Industrialists”.
The initiative will bring young entrepreneurs and emerging industry leaders into discussions on economic participation and industrial development. Abuja University and Philomath University are partners, while the Youth Sustainable Development Network is the community partner.
The opening session will feature young Nigerians already working in the sector, including Damilola Hamid Balogun of the Youth Sustainable Development Network and Emmanuel Terwase of Boost Power.
Nigeria NOW! is being held under the patronage of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development. Other partners include the Lagos State Government, the Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining & Natural Resources Organisation, Women in Mining, Nextier and The Electricity Hub.
The forum comes as Nigeria seeks to mobilise private capital for its mining, energy and infrastructure ambitions. Its central test will be whether investor discussions translate into financing commitments, project implementation and measurable economic benefits for Nigerian businesses and communities.
