Nigeria is known for oil, but the country’s geology is far broader than the Niger Delta. Deposits of industrial, construction, precious and increasingly battery minerals occur across almost every state. What separates them commercially is not whether the rock is there — it is whether title, infrastructure and processing exist to get it out and into a buyer’s hands at a workable price.

This guide sets out the ten most important, with the practical detail that generic listicles skip: where each is found, who actually buys it, and which legal regime governs it. Use the explorer to filter by mineral or by the industry you’re supplying.

Holding title is one thing; moving product to an international buyer is another, and it’s where most first-time exporters lose money. A mineral export transaction generally has to satisfy several layers at once: your mineral title and any required approvals, exporter registration, the documentation banks and customs require, and the buyer’s own quality specification.

The parts worth planning early:

• Exporter registration. Commercial exporters register with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and export proceeds run through the documentation your bank requires.
• Assay and specification. Buyers pay on assayed grade, moisture and impurities. Independent inspection at loading is normal and protects both sides.
• Value-addition policy. Government has pushed increasingly hard for minerals to be processed onshore rather than shipped as raw ore — check the current position for your mineral before assuming raw export is permitted.
• Logistics reality. Inland haulage from mine to port is frequently the largest single cost line and the main cause of delay.

If you’re costing an export, our HS code & duty finder helps you classify the product correctly, and chartering a vessel covers the bulk freight side.