By Adedapo Adesanya

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has called for the establishment of regional energy hubs as a strategic pathway to accelerate cross-border mining industrialisation and strengthen the supply chain of critical minerals essential for the global energy transition.

He called for the development of regional industrial corridors akin to the Lobito Corridor, noting that similar belts —such as the Lagos–Abidjan corridor, spanning Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the Walvis Bay Corridor linking Southern and Central Africa to global markets— could unlock vast mineral potential across the continent.

Speaking at a high-level panel themed: “Critical Minerals in Africa: Meeting Global Demand” at the ongoing Powering Africa Summit in Washington, D.C., United States, Mr Alake also said more investments had been attracted into Nigeria in the last two years.

The Minister emphasised that despite being open to investment, the country to prioritise strict compliance with local laws and regulations while outlining key investment incentives, including tax waivers on imported mining equipment and full repatriation of profits after due payment of royalties and taxes.

“We have successfully de-risked and sanitised the mining environment, making it conducive to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Within the last two and a half years, we have attracted over $2.6 billion in FDI into the sector,” he affirmed.

He stressed that sustainable partnerships with Africa remain the fastest route to meeting rising global demand for critical minerals.

According to the Minister, such corridors would serve as economic catalysts by driving infrastructure development, enhancing energy access, and promoting regional integration. “The development of nuclear power in one West African country, for instance, can service an entire corridor.

With that in place, local beneficiation, technology transfer, manufacturing, and cross-border industrialisation will naturally follow. If three to five such corridors are developed in Africa, we would significantly advance industrialisation across the continent, creating a win-win outcome for both Africa and the West,” he stated.

Mr Alake noted that under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the ministry has carried out some reforms, including strengthened governance structures, improved regulatory frameworks, digitisation of licensing processes, and enhanced ease of doing business, which have repositioned Nigeria’s mining sector as a key driver of economic diversification.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

As part of efforts to free personnel for police stations and reduce complaints about tactical team excesses, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Tunji Disu, has ordered the restructuring of tactical teams at zonal, state command, area command and divisional levels.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Mr Anthony Okon Placid, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), the police chief said the reduction could be achieved by the merger or disbandment of tactical teams.

However, he emphasised that security outfits created by state governments like the Lagos Rapid Response Squad, Oyo’s SRS, and Bayelsa’s Operation DOO-AKPOR and other similar outfits across the country, may not be affected by this directive.

He said tactical teams at Zonal and State Command levels should be a maximum of five, and Area Command and Divisional levels must be a maximum of three.

“This can be achieved by merging or disbanding teams, at the Heads of formations’ discretion,” a part of the statement read.

It was noted that this action was taken because of the proliferation of tactical teams and the bad image this was causing the security agency due to the excesses of the poorly supervised teams.

In addition, these teams were draining police divisions and posts of required manpower.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria is prepared to support global energy stability, particularly as geopolitical tensions continue to affect oil supply in the Middle East.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Information, Mr Mohammed Idris, amid rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly in key oil-producing regions, which have disrupted supply expectations, heightened fears of shortages, and driven oil prices higher.

Mr Idris stated that Nigeria remains willing to play a key role in ensuring energy security, stressing that the country stands ready to contribute wherever necessary.

“Nigeria is ever ready to contribute to energy security around the world. Whatever Nigeria can do to ease tension, it will do. The world needs oil, and Nigeria is there,” he stated.

In a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Rabiu Ibrahim, the minister also highlighted the significance of President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing engagements abroad, describing them as crucial to strengthening Nigeria’s international partnerships.

He said the visit reinforces the long-standing relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, built on shared historical, cultural, and economic ties.

“This visit underscores the historical relationship, the cultural ties, and the economic ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. We hope that we will deepen it further in the interest of both countries,” Mr Idris said.

The minister further pointed to the impact of the administration’s reforms, noting that they are already improving Nigeria’s economic outlook and global perception.

“With the reforms that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instituted, we have seen a significant uplift in the economy,” he added.

Mr Idris reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining reforms, improving security, and creating an environment where Nigerians can live and work safely, while positioning the country as a reliable partner on the global stage.

He also rejected the notion of a failure on the part of the Nigeria’s security agencies, saying, “I don’t think they failed. I think that more work needs to be done. Nigerian security agencies are working around the clock to ensure that this does not happen again,” adding, that Maiduguri had recorded significant improvements in peace and stability over time.

“The government is putting a lot of attention. The reform agenda of the President is aimed at ensuring that Nigerians are safe and that this does not happen again,” he further stated.