Nigeria's Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, has urged the European Union to partner with Nigeria in developing robust steel, aluminium, and mineral value chains.
The collaboration aims to accelerate industrialization, meet growing domestic demand, and open new export markets through sustained investment and technology sharing.
Speaking at the Nigeria–German Economic Forum in Dortmund, Germany, on March 3, 2026, Minister Audu highlighted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes moving Nigeria from raw material exports to value-added industrial production.
He emphasized the need for reliable, long-term international partners to realize this vision.Audu pointed to Nigeria's abundant natural resources, including more than three billion tonnes of iron ore reserves, plus significant deposits of limestone, manganese, copper, lead-zinc, lithium, and rare-earth minerals—as a solid foundation for both local industry growth and secure supply to European markets.
He highlighted the scale of Nigeria's domestic steel market, valued at roughly $10 billion annually, presenting a major opportunity for foreign investors.
The minister invited EU collaboration in several critical areas:
Steel and aluminium manufacturing
Mineral processing and beneficiation
Supporting infrastructure (power, rail, gas, and ports)
Skills development and technology transfer
With a population approaching 250 million and a youthful workforce, Nigeria is positioned to become a key industrial and trade hub in Africa. Audu stressed that strategic partnerships would enhance Europe's supply chain resilience while driving sustainable economic progress in Nigeria.
The minister was welcomed at the forum by German officials, including Minister for Federal, International and European Affairs Nathanael Liminski and Dortmund Lord Mayor Alexander Kalouti, signaling growing interest in deepening Nigeria–EU economic relations through focused industrial cooperation.
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