Nigeria advances mining and manufacturing through new investment and 3D printing initiatives

Nigeria is advancing its industrial and mining sectors through new investment initiatives and manufacturing infrastructure. The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, in partnership with EnergyNet, has launched ‘Nigeria NOW!’, an event scheduled for November 19-20 in Abuja to convene global investors across the energy, infrastructure, and mining sectors.

To encourage domestic value addition, Nigeria now requires mining licenses to include plans for local processing plants. Recent investments include a $1.3 billion partnership with the Africa Finance Corporation for an alumina refinery and geological mapping, as well as lithium processing facilities totaling $800 million. A lithium plant in Nasarawa State is already operational, contributing to a sector revenue increase from 6 billion naira in 2023 to over 38 billion naira in 2024.

In parallel, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has unveiled plans for the country’s first metal additive manufacturing hub in Abuja. The facility aims to utilize Nigeria’s 31,000-tonne tantalite reserves by integrating local mineral processing with metal 3D printing. The hub will feature digital design, laser powder-bed fusion, and powder recycling to support a circular economy and reduce dependency on imported components for the aerospace, automotive, and defense industries.