ABUJA — A civil liberties group, Lawyers for Civil Liberties, has filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) application asking the Federal Government to release the full details of Nigeria’s recently signed critical minerals framework with the United States.
The application was addressed to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake.
Group seeks full agreement
The lawyers are requesting an unredacted copy of the agreement, including details of the commitments made by both countries.
Among the information requested are:
Financial terms and royalty arrangements.
Tax or other fiscal incentives.
Any resource concessions.
Environmental protection measures.
Community development commitments.
Local-content requirements.
Plans for mineral processing inside Nigeria.
Technology-transfer arrangements.
The group said its request is based on the public interest surrounding Nigeria’s natural resources and the potential economic and environmental impact of the agreement.
Deal signed during UNGA
Nigeria and the United States signed the critical minerals framework on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The agreement is designed to encourage investment in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and support exploration, development, processing and value addition.
The Nigerian government has estimated the country’s untapped mineral resources at more than $700 billion. That figure refers to the estimated value of Nigeria’s mineral-resource potential, not the value of the Nigeria–US agreement itself.
Transparency becomes the new focus
Lawyers for Civil Liberties said international investment in Nigeria’s mineral sector can support economic diversification, but argued that agreements involving the country’s natural resources should be open to appropriate public scrutiny.
The FOI request comes as questions continue over how Nigeria will protect local communities, ensure environmental standards and increase local processing under the new partnership.
As of the latest report reviewed, there was no public response from the Ministry of Justice or Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to the FOI request.
MONAFRIKA WATCH
The FOI application puts the spotlight on the details behind the Nigeria–US mineral partnership.
The key issue now is whether the Federal Government will make the agreement public and explain what Nigeria has committed, what it stands to gain and what safeguards are in place for the country’s mineral resources and mining communities.
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