Nigeria and France have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop joint projects to promote and diversify the critical minerals value chain in the solid minerals sector of both countries.

The MoU was signed by both countries on the sidelines of the official visit to France by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently, according to a statement yesterday by Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori.

He explained that Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, signed for Nigeria while the Inter-Ministerial delegate for Critical Ores and Metals of the Republic of France, Benjamin Gallezot, signed on behalf of France.

Alake said the deal was a boost to the efforts of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to reposition Nigeria’s solid minerals sector for international competitiveness.

He added that the ministry would leverage the partnership to open up the mining sector to French investors. The critical minerals according to him are lithium, copper, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements are essential to clean energy technologies.

Tomori explained that a major component of the MoU is the promotion of sustainable mining activities by executing projects and programmes that reduce the environmental impact of mining on carbon emissions, water consumption and climate change.