Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, and United States (US) Deputy Secretary, Kurt Campbell, held a closed-door discussion in Abuja on Tuesday to address matters of common interest between the two nations.
Naijaonpoint understands that the meeting occurred immediately following the Vice President’s return to Nigeria after representing President Bola Tinubu at the recently concluded International Development Association (IDA21) Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
A statement released by the Vice President’s spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha, highlighted that Senator Shettima’s discussions with Campbell and his team focused on security, bilateral relations, shared goals, technological collaboration, economic cooperation, and mutual partnership.
As per the statement, both countries committed to enhancing their bilateral ties and connectivity.
It is worth noting that Deputy Secretary Campbell has been present in Nigeria, where he served as the co-chair of the sixth U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission (BNC) alongside Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has said Nigeria currently has a deposit of mineral products worth $750 billion.
Alake stated that the Bola Tinubu government is working to ensure the country becomes a promising investment destination for solid minerals development.
He said this on Monday at a two-day national stakeholders’ roundtable on sustainable development of the mining industry organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Abuja.
Alake revealed preliminary reports by a German firm, GeoScan, that indicated the nation is blessed with minerals worth a conservative $750 billion.
The minister said the mining sector has the potential to contribute significantly to the nation’s goal of achieving a trillion-dollar economy, as pushed by the current administration.
Alake, however, said the availability of data is important to attract investors who will establish plants in Nigeria to process the minerals, creating a multiplier effect on job creation and economic growth.