Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake (middle), with the Managing Director/CEO of the South-South Development Commission, Ms. Usoro Akpabio (left), and the Director of Commercial and Environmental Development, Joseph Ugheoke,
during a courtesy visit to the Ministry in Abuja on August 31, 2026, to discuss strategic collaboration on unlocking the South-South’s mineral wealth, sustainable mining, investment and environmental innovation. CREDIT: MMSD
The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind the South-South Development Commission’s plan to exploit the region’s solid mineral deposits, as the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the mineral wealth of the oil-producing region could create jobs, attract investment and accelerate economic diversification.
Alake made the commitment when the Director-General of the South-South Development Commission, Usoro Akpabio, led a delegation of the commission on a courtesy visit to the ministry in Abuja.
The minister said the partnership was important to President Bola Tinubu’s broader plan to use the six geopolitical development commissions to unlock economic opportunities and accelerate development across the country.
