The Presidency has dismissed rumours that France is taking over Nigeria’s mining sector or compromising its security and economic interests through the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two nations.
Sunday Dare, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu’s on Media and Public Communications,stated this in a statement posted on his X page today
Dare said the agreement is focused on collaboration in the solid minerals sector, with particular emphasis on developing critical minerals value chains.
He stated that Nigeria did not sign away any mining rights.
“The French are not taking over. Nowhere in the document was it agreed or suggested that Nigeria has signed away mining rights to the French, nor does it connote anything against Nigeria’s economic and security interests as being maliciously circulated”, Dare added.
He further stressed that the MoU, signed during President Tinubu’s recent state visit to France, aims to promote sustainable mining practices, diversify the critical minerals value chain, and foster joint projects between both nations.
According to him, critical minerals such as copper, lithium, cobalt, and nickel—vital for clean energy technologies—are at the heart of the agreement.
He highlighted key components of the MoU, including, environmental sustainability—executing projects to reduce the environmental impact of mining, such as lowering carbon emissions, minimizing water consumption, and addressing climate change.
He explained that knowledge and skills transfer, collaborating on research, training, and Franco-Nigerian student exchanges to enhance expertise in the sector.
“Joint Projects include establishing co-financed extractive and processing projects to secure the supply of critical minerals and support energy decarbonization. Community Impact: Adopting international best practices to improve conditions for communities affected by mining operations and ensuring transparency.”
According to him , the agreement also outlines plans to remediate over 2,000 abandoned mining pits across Nigeria through environmental rehabilitation initiatives.
Explaining the nature of the MoU, Dare noted that such agreements are not legally binding and allow for flexibility.
“An MoU establishes a mutual intention, clarifies goals, and provides a paper trail of negotiated terms. Either party can exit the agreement if objectives are not being met, preventing possible future disagreements,” he said.
