Nigeria Targets $750 Billion in Untapped Minerals With New EMERGE Programme
Nigeria has launched a new plan to dig deeper literally into one of its most overlooked sources of wealth. The Early-Stage Mineral Exploration and Research Grant Endowment Programme, known as EMERGE, kicked off this week with one clear goal: unlock an estimated 750 billion dollars in mineral deposits still sitting untouched beneath Nigerian soil.
The programme is built around three main pillars. The first focuses on science-driven exploration, using proper geological research to find out exactly what minerals are where and how much of them exist. The second zeroes in on critical mineral, the specific materials the world needs for the shift toward cleaner energy. The third pushes research and innovation across the entire mining value chain, from the ground up to the finished product. The whole effort is funded through Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Development Fund.
The timing is no accident. Nigeria has identified 44 strategic mineral sites across the country and is actively courting investors with the money and technology needed to develop them. The government has also set an ambitious target of growing mining’s contribution to the national economy to 10 percent of GDP this year. But officials admit that none of this can happen without better data, stronger technical skills and serious early-stage investment — exactly the gap EMERGE was built to close.
This is not happening in isolation. Nigeria signed a partnership with Turkey in May to boost mining technology and exploration cooperation. It has also struck separate agreements with South Sudan and South Africa focused on geological mapping and sharing technical expertise, opening the door to greater investment across the region.
The money is already flowing. Back in March, Nigeria secured 1.3 billion dollars from the Africa Finance Corporation to support its mineral exploration work and help build an alumina refinery, a move aimed at processing more raw minerals at home instead of shipping them abroad unrefined. Late last year, the government had already set aside more than 600 million dollars purely for geological mapping and exploration across the country.
All of this groundwork will be on full display at African Mining Week 2026, set to run from October 14 to 16. The event will bring together global investors, financiers and Nigerian officials for panel discussions and networking sessions built around exploration and investment opportunities in Nigeria’s mining sector. #Nigeria Targets $750 Billion in Untapped Minerals With New EMERGE Programme#
