The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, says the beneficiaries of the newly launched Early-Stage Mineral Exploration & Research Grant Endowment (EMERGE) Programme will be selected strictly through a transparent, merit-based process, warning applicants against seeking political influence or personal connections.
Speaking at the official launch of the EMERGE Programme organised by the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) in Abuja, Alake said applications would be independently administered by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to guarantee transparency, accountability and fairness.
According to the minister, only the quality and strength of proposals submitted by applicants will determine successful applications.
“There is no room for connections, no shortcuts. Let nobody say they want to see the minister or ask SMDF officials to put in a word. Only the strength and solidity of your proposal will earn you the grant,” he said.
Alake described EMERGE as a landmark intervention aimed at accelerating mineral exploration, geoscience research and value addition in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector. He noted that the initiative is the first dedicated grant programme for geoscience and mineral processing research in the country’s history.
He explained that the programme would support early-stage explorers, researchers and institutions through funding provided under three strategic streams: exploration, critical minerals development, and research and development.
According to him, EMERGE will fund grassroots exploration activities to identify and prove new mineral deposits, support the search for critical minerals required for the global energy transition, and finance research into geoscience and mineral processing technologies that can be deployed within Nigeria.
“For the first time in the history of our country, we are offering a purposeful, dedicated grant for geoscience and mineral processing research,” the minister said.
Alake said the programme is designed to drive local value addition by supporting the entire mining value chain, from exploration and extraction to processing, refining and the production of finished goods within Nigeria.
“EMERGE enables us to move through the entire value chain from digging to refining and eventually to finished products, all within Nigeria,” he stated.
The minister noted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s broader strategy of transforming the mining sector through increased exploration, local value addition and investment in research-driven innovation.
He added that EMERGE complements ongoing reforms that have boosted investor confidence and strengthened governance in the sector, including the formalisation of artisanal miners through cooperative societies, the establishment of Mining Marshals to combat illegal mining, digitisation of licensing processes and the revocation of more than 3,000 dormant mining licences.
According to Alake, the reforms have significantly increased government revenue from the sector, rising from about N16 billion in 2023 to N38 billion in 2024 and surpassing N70 billion by the end of 2025.
He further disclosed that Nigeria’s local value-addition policy has attracted major investments, including the $1.3 billion AFC-SMDF lithium refinery project, which he described as the largest single mining investment in the country’s history.
The minister commended the Executive Secretary of SMDF, Fatima Umaru Shinkafi, for spearheading the programme and other initiatives aimed at transforming the sector and positioning Nigeria as a leading destination for mineral exploration and processing.
Alake expressed confidence that EMERGE would accelerate economic diversification, support indigenous innovation, attract new investments and strengthen the contribution of solid minerals to national revenue.
He said the programme would help unlock Nigeria’s vast mineral potential, discover new mineral resources and position the country as a major player in the global minerals value chain
