The Federal Government has launched the Early-Stage Mineral Exploration and Research Grant Endowment (EMERGE), a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to fund mineral exploration, processing technology and research while helping promising projects attract private investment.

The programme was launched on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Henry Dele Alake as part of ongoing efforts to reposition the mining sector as a key pillar of economic diversification under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Speaking at the launch, Alake described EMERGE as the “missing first rung” in the support framework being developed for Nigeria’s mining sector, noting that the initiative would provide dedicated funding for exploration, critical minerals development and research.

“EMERGE adds the missing first rung to the ladder of support we have built for this sector. It speaks directly to two of our priorities: generating the reliable data on our priority minerals that sound investment depends on and driving the value addition and processing that keep more of our minerals’ worth here at home,” he said.

According to the minister, the programme will operate through three funding streams. The Exploration Stream will support grassroots and early-stage mineral exploration projects, while the Critical Minerals Stream will fund exploration activities and technologies linked to minerals essential to the global energy transition. A third Research and Development Stream will provide support for geoscience and mineral-processing research undertaken by Master’s and PhD students, universities and research institutions.

Alake said the initiative forms part of broader reforms that have attracted about $2.6 billion in fresh investment commitments into the mining sector since 2023, including investments in lithium processing and rare earth projects.

He added that the government is pursuing a value-addition strategy aimed at ensuring more minerals are processed locally rather than exported in raw form.

The minister also reiterated that EMERGE would be administered through a transparent and competitive process.

“Applications will be assessed strictly on merit, and the process is independently administered by PwC, our Programme Administration Partner, to guarantee transparency, accountability and a level playing field for every applicant. No connections, no shortcuts, only the strength of your proposal,” he said.

Earlier, the executive secretary and chief executive officer of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), Hajiya Fatima Umaru Shinkafi, described EMERGE as a strategic intervention aimed at unlocking Nigeria’s vast but underutilised mineral wealth.

“For too long, Nigeria’s mineral wealth has sat in the ground as unrealised potential, its most promising projects unable to attract early funding. EMERGE changes that, funding early-stage exploration, the processing technologies that add value at home, and the research behind them, then helping grantees move from grants to private investment,” she said.

Shinkafi noted that the programme goes beyond grant funding by incorporating the EMERGE Accelerator, a business support platform that will automatically enrol beneficiaries under the Exploration and Critical Minerals streams. The accelerator will provide technical training, investment-readiness support, governance advisory services and access to investors and industry mentors.

Applications for the programme will open on July 10, 2026, with successful applicants expected to emerge through an independent assessment process administered by PwC.

The SMDF said EMERGE complements existing initiatives such as the AFC-SMDF Project Development Facility, launched in partnership with the Africa Finance Corporation to de-risk mining projects and accelerate investment in the sector.

Stakeholders from government, the mining industry, financial institutions, academia and the National Assembly attended the launch, which was widely viewed as a significant step towards improving geological data generation, encouraging local mineral processing and creating a stronger pipeline of investment-ready mining projects in Nigeria.

Additional key context from the launch

• EMERGE is designed not only as a grant scheme but also includes an accelerator component to support early-stage projects from research through development.
• The programme will be administered with structured evaluation processes, with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) serving as the programme administration partner responsible for managing applications and selection.
• Applications for the first cycle will open on July 10, 2026, while successful applicants will be announced in the fourth quarter of 2026.
• The initiative is positioned as part of a wider strategy to unlock Nigeria’s estimated 44 commercially viable minerals across more than 500 locations, with a focus on critical minerals linked to global energy transition demand.