Economy
Mining Sector to Contribute $27b to GDP by 2025—FG
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
It is no doubt that a lot has not been tapped from the mining industry in Nigeria, but the present government is focusing its attention to this just as it is doing with the agricultural sector.
At the moment, it is estimated that the contribution of the sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria is $13 billion.
But the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development says it hopes to push this to about $27 billion by 2025.
This was revealed in the Ministry’s Road Map released on Sunday in Abuja, which was posted on its website and analysed by Business Post.
According to the Ministry’s roadmap, the impact on GDP will be significant as industries are able to use the output of the sector better, substituting for imports.
It also noted that the successful execution of the mining plan with unlock significant value for Nigeria and the net outcome will be creation of thousands of direct jobs and potentially hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs.
The Ministry said it would execute this roadmap in stages with the first focused on bringing stability to the sector and rebuilding the country’s market confidence between 2016 and 2018.
The second phase will focus on establishing Nigeria as a competitive African mining and mineral processing centre from 2016 to 2020, while the third phase will enable Nigeria compete in the global market for refined metals and minerals from 2018 to 2030 in addition to selected ore exportation.
“To ensure effective execution of the roadmap, a committee has recommended the formation of a Mining Implementation and Strategy Team (MIST) that will be the process owner of the roadmap and will be accountable for its implementation.
“MIST, as an advisory team to the Minister, will work across multiple MDAs, stakeholders and private institutions to ensure that the full potential of the minerals, mining and metals sector is achieved,” the Ministry said.
Recall that in 2015, the sector contributed approximately 0.33 percent to the GDP of the country. This contribution is a reversal from the historically higher percentages (about 4-5% in the 1960s-70s).
However, following a decade of reforms starting in 1999, this contribution represents a cautiously optimistic restart of the development of the sector.
The decade of reform saw key changes including, the passage of a new Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (2007), a Nigerian Mineral and Metals Policy (2008), the creation of a modern Mining Cadastre system, the refinement of the tax code, and the expansion in airborne mapping of the country to sharpen knowledge of the mineral endowments. As important as these progress steps have been, Nigeria can and should do more.
The sector faces several challenges with geosciences data and information, Industry participants, Stakeholders, Institutions, Governance and other enablers of the sector.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), gour sub-activities make up the Mining & Quarrying sector: Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas, Coal Mining, Metal ore and Quarrying and other Minerals.
On a nominal basis, the sector grew in the Fourth Quarter of 2016 by 54.68% (year on year). This was substantially above the growth rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2015, when a contraction of -35.12% was recorded.
This increase may be attributable in part to negotiations with militant groups in the Niger Delta region, who had been vandalizing oil infrastructure, but who reduced their attacks in the fourth quarter following these series of negotiations.
Coal mining and Metal ore activities in nominal terms, recorded growth rates of 14.16% and 24.24% respectively, significantly higher than the third quarter growth rates of 1.06% and 17.11% respectively.
The Mining & Quarrying sector contributed 7.10% to overall GDP during the fourth quarter of 2016, higher than the contribution recorded in same quarter of 2015 at 5.18%, and its contribution in the preceding quarter of 6.23%.
In real terms, Mining and Quarrying sector recorded a decline of -12.04% (year-on-year) in the fourth quarter of 2016. Although this is significantly smaller decline than that recorded in the previous quarter, of 21.64%, it is nevertheless 3.99% points lower than the growth rate recorded in the same Quarter of 2015 of –8.05.
The contribution of Mining and Quarrying to Real GDP in the fourth quarter of 2016 stood at 7.32%, representing a decline of 0.89% points relative to the corresponding quarter of 2015 and also a decline of 1.02% points relative to the third quarter of 2016.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) has disclosed that seven additional insurance companies have secured full recapitalisation approval from the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), bringing the industry-wide recapitalisation exercise to a successful conclusion.
In a statement on Friday, NIA Chairman, Mrs Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, said the milestone represented significant progress towards building a stronger, more competitive and trusted insurance market in Nigeria.
She said the seven companies, alongside the 41 insurance companies and two reinsurance companies earlier approved, had demonstrated resilience, financial discipline and corporate strength by successfully completing the final verification process.
“Having successfully navigated the rigorous final verification process, these companies, alongside the earlier approved 41 insurance companies and two reinsurance companies, have demonstrated exceptional resilience, corporate fortitude, and financial discipline,” Mrs Nwachukwu said.
She added that the successful recapitalisation had positioned the companies to deliver greater value to policyholders and contribute to deeper insurance penetration nationwide.
Mrs Nwachukwu commended NAICOM for its regulatory oversight during the exercise, describing the commission’s approach as fair, structured and focused on strengthening market integrity.
“NAICOM’s strategic foresight and structured execution have elevated the Nigerian insurance industry, reinforcing its position within the broader financial sector as a substantially stronger, highly resilient, and globally competitive market,” she said.
The NIA chairman reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting insurance companies as they adapt to new regulatory requirements under the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025.
She said the association would continue to work with NAICOM to promote a sustainable and future-ready insurance sector.
Mrs Nwachukwu also assured policyholders, investors and other economic stakeholders that the recapitalised industry was better positioned to support economic growth.
“With this recapitalization complete, the Nigerian insurance sector enters a transformative era. The industry is fully equipped to settle genuine claims promptly, absorb higher local and international risks, and serve as a cornerstone of financial stability, directly supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030,” she said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Capital market operators have been directed to immediately freeze the assets, funds, and other economic resources belonging to six individuals and three entities designated as terrorist financiers by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee (NSC).
This directive was given by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) via a circular to all Capital Market Regulated Entities (CMREs), warning that failure to comply would constitute a violation of the Investments and Securities Act, 2025, and the SEC Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Rules and Regulations.
It said violations could attract regulatory sanctions, including fines, suspension of operations or revocation of registration, reminding capital market operators that all unusual or suspicious transactions must be promptly reported to the NFIU.
The regulator, which stated that the designations were made in line with the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act (TPPA) 2022, listed the six individuals as Babangida Muhammed Adamu Hammajam, Abdullahi Umar Usman, Ibrahim Abubakar, Adamu Chiroma, Muktar Muhammad Adamu and Yakubu Ogirima Ibrahim. The three designated entities are Nine to Nine BDC Ltd, Generation Currency BDC Ltd and Abbal Bako & Sons Bureau de Change.
According to the SEC, Hammajama was listed on June 18, 2026, for involvement in terrorism financing and support for the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), while Usman was designated for providing material support to a designated terrorist organisation through repeated financial transactions.
The commission said Abubakar was listed for involvement in terrorism financing and membership of ISWAP, while Chiroma was designated for allegedly using Bureau De Change (BDC) operations and related corporate entities to facilitate the movement of funds linked to terrorist activities.
Muktar Muhammad Adamu was listed on June 15, 2026, for providing financial support and facilitating transactions linked to the financing network of the ISWAP Okene cell, while Ibrahim was designated for providing material and financial support to the ISWAP Kogi cell.
The SEC said the three entities were listed for their alleged involvement in facilitating and channelling funds connected to the ISWAP Okene financing network.
The commission directed CMREs to immediately identify and freeze, without prior notice, all funds, assets and other economic resources in their possession belonging to the designated persons and entities.
They are also required to report frozen assets and other compliance actions, including attempted transactions, to the Secretariat of the Nigeria Sanctions Committee.
In addition, the SEC directed regulated entities to immediately file suspicious transaction reports with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for further analysis of the financial activities.
It further instructed operators to report as suspicious transactions all cases of name matches in financial transactions, whether occurring before or after receipt of the sanctions list.
The regulated entities are also required to prohibit dealings with the designated persons and entities and continue monitoring for transactions involving them.
The SEC said any findings should be reported to the Nigeria Sanctions Committee through its designated reporting channel.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Nigeria’s biggest sugar producer, has raised N486 billion ($356 million) through an oversubscribed rights issue as the company moves to reduce its debt burden and strengthen its capital base after three consecutive years of losses.
The company, founded by Mr Aliko Dangote, raised the funds through the issuance of 8.1 billion ordinary shares at N60 per share, according to a filing with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Friday.
The development follows shareholders’ approval of the capital-raising plan at the company’s 20th Annual General Meeting held in April.
In a statement signed by the Company Secretary, Mr Temitope Hassan, the sugar firm said the rights issue is part of efforts to improve its financial position and provide funding to support its long-term growth plans.
The company’s directors are authorised to raise up to N500 billion through a rights issue, on terms and at a time to be determined by the Board.
Dangote Sugar increased its share capital to accommodate the new shares issued under the rights issue. The sugar producer’s board also authorised to allot the shares and the management of any fractional holdings in accordance with regulatory requirements.
The organisation said any shares remaining unallotted after the offer would be cancelled as permitted by law, describing the capital raise as one of the largest rights issues in Nigeria’s corporate history.
The capital raise comes against the backdrop of improved revenue performance but continued losses at the company.
In its 2025 audited results, Dangote Sugar recorded a 24.56 per cent increase in revenue to N829.2 billion, compared with the previous year. The growth was driven largely by strong demand for 50kg sugar, which generated N807 billion in revenue.
Retail sugar sales contributed N17.7 billion, while molasses and freight income generated N4.02 billion and N66.4 million, respectively.
Cost of sales increased by 11.35 per cent to N706.5 billion, largely due to raw material costs of N573.3 billion. This resulted in a gross profit of N122.6 billion.
Despite the improvement in revenue and gross profit, the company recorded a pre-tax loss of N72.2 billion in 2025, although this represented a significant improvement from the N270.8 billion loss reported in 2024.
Lagos remained the company’s largest market, accounting for 55.82 per cent of regional sales, followed by the North with 35.35 per cent, the West with 6.45 per cent and the East with 2.38 per cent.
The fresh capital is expected to provide Dangote Sugar with additional financial capacity as it works to reduce its debt obligations, strengthen its balance sheet and advance its long-term expansion plans.
