10 Mineral Resources in Nigeria and Their Uses (2026 Guide)

Updated 28 September 2026 · Wigmore Trading, Lagos

In this guide:

• The 10 mineral resources at a glance
• Each mineral: where it’s found and what it’s used for
• Other minerals worth knowing
• 10 importance of mineral resources in Nigeria
• Nigeria’s mining sector in 2026
• Buying or exporting minerals: rules and scams
• FAQ

10 mineral resources in Nigeria and their uses (at a glance)

Sources: NUPRC reserves via Premium Times (Apr 2026); mineral locations and reserve estimates from Nigerian missions’ official solid-minerals pages (Bucharest, Kigali; undated, retrieved Sep 2026); lithium from Mondaq and allAfrica (2026).

Each mineral: where it’s found and what it’s used for

1. Crude oil

Crude oil is still Nigeria’s biggest foreign-exchange earner, even though it’s a small share of GDP. NBS says the oil sector contributed 3.92% of real GDP in Q1 2026, with average output of 1.55 million barrels per day. NUPRC’s 2026 declaration put crude at 31.09 billion barrels and condensate at 5.92 billion barrels, 37.01 billion in total. That’s down 0.74% on a year earlier, with a reserve life of about 59 years at current output. Crude is refined into petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation fuel, lubricants and petrochemical feedstock for plastics.

2. Natural gas

Gas reserves rose 2.21% to 215.19 tcf: 100.21 tcf associated with oil and 114.98 tcf non-associated. That’s a reserve life of about 85 years. Gas fires most of Nigeria’s grid power stations, supplies LPG for cooking, feeds fertiliser plants and is exported as LNG. For households and traders, see our gas cylinder price guide.

3. Coal

Enugu’s coalfields gave the city its nickname “Coal City”. Nigeria has nearly 3 billion tonnes of indicated coal reserves across 17 identified coalfields, according to Nigeria’s diplomatic missions. Coal can fuel power plants and cement kilns. Some grades can be used in steel making.

4. Iron ore

Iron ore is mined at Itakpe in Kogi State. Total deposits are put at over 3 billion tonnes across Kogi, Enugu, Niger and the FCT. It is the raw material for steel. The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has promoted a $1 billion iron-ore-to-steel initiative in Kogi as part of its value-addition drive.

5. Limestone

Limestone is found in at least 16 states, from Ogun and Kogi to Sokoto and Cross River. It’s the key raw material for cement, which is why Nigeria makes most of its own cement. It’s also used for lime, road aggregate and animal feed. Cement manufacturing was named among the growth drivers in NBS’s Q1 2026 GDP report. For what this means for builders, see our cement price guide.

6. Gold

Gold occurs as alluvial and primary (reef) deposits across the north-west, north-central and south-west, including Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Kwara, Osun and Oyo. Much of it is still mined by artisanal miners. Government policy is to formalise them into cooperatives and to process the gold locally. Uses include jewellery, reserves and investment, and electronics.

7. Lithium

Lithium is 2026’s headline mineral. A lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State, reported as a $600 million project, was awaiting commissioning in May 2026, and a $200 million lithium facility is near Abuja. Mondaq describes a Nasarawa lithium plant with a capacity of 6,000 tonnes a day as West Africa’s largest lithium processing plant. New finds of lithium, platinum-group metals, rare earths and other minerals have been reported in Kaduna State. Lithium goes into batteries for phones, electric vehicles and solar storage.

8. Tin and columbite

Tin mining on the Jos Plateau dates back to the colonial era. Cassiterite (tin ore) is found in Plateau, Bauchi, Kano, Kwara, Oyo and the FCT, and columbite in Plateau, Bauchi, Kwara and Osun. Tin is used for solder in electronics, tin-plated food cans and alloys such as bronze. Columbite supplies niobium for high-strength steels.

9. Lead/zinc

Lead-zinc deposits run through the Benue Trough, including Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Taraba and Niger States. Estimated reserves are about 10 million tonnes. Lead goes into car and inverter batteries. Zinc is used to galvanise steel, including the roofing sheets on most Nigerian homes.

10. Barite

Barite (baryte) is used to weigh down drilling mud in oil and gas wells, so Nigeria’s oil industry is a ready local market. It’s also used in paints, plastics and medical imaging. Deposits of over 7.5 million tonnes are reported, with occurrences in Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba, Bauchi, Cross River and Plateau.

Other minerals worth knowing

Source: Embassy of Nigeria, Bucharest, and Nigeria High Commission, Kigali, solid-minerals pages (retrieved September 2026). Reserve figures are long-standing government estimates, not audited 2026 numbers.

What about bauxite? Older lists, including an earlier version of this page, named bauxite (aluminium ore) as a leading Nigerian mineral. None of the official sources we checked list significant bauxite deposits, so we’ve removed it from the top 10.

10 importance of mineral resources in Nigeria

1. Foreign exchange: crude oil and gas earn most of Nigeria’s export dollars.
2. Government revenue: oil royalties and taxes fund federal, state and local budgets. Solid-minerals revenue reached ₦68.1 billion in 2025, according to the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (reported May 2026).
3. Energy supply: gas and petroleum products power homes, generators, industry and transport.
4. Raw materials for industry: limestone and gypsum make cement, iron ore and coal make steel, and kaolin and talc supply ceramics and cosmetics factories.
5. Jobs: mining, quarrying and the trades around them employ engineers, truck drivers and hundreds of thousands of artisanal miners.
6. Infrastructure: limestone, granite, laterite and bitumen go into roads, bridges and housing.
7. Foreign investment: the minister reported over $2.6 billion in mining-related investment attracted in two years (May 2026).
8. Economic diversification: mining and quarrying contributed 4.23% of GDP in Q1 2026 (NBS), a way to reduce dependence on crude oil.
9. Agriculture: gas-based fertiliser, gypsum and limestone improve soils and crop yields.
10. Rural development: roads, power and services often follow mines into remote areas when projects are well managed.

Looking for a shorter list of 5? Use numbers 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8: foreign exchange, revenue, industrial raw materials, jobs and diversification.

Nigeria’s mining sector in 2026: what’s changed

The biggest change is the move away from what Minister Dele Alake calls the “pit-to-port model”, where ore is dug up and shipped out raw. The ministry says Nigeria is “no longer interested in exporting raw minerals without local processing and industrial value addition”. Mining leases now need a value-addition plan. Big processing projects include the Nasarawa lithium plant, the Abuja-area lithium facility, a proposed $400 million rare-earth and critical-minerals plant in Nasarawa, and the Kogi iron-ore-to-steel initiative. The ministry also reports more than 300 arrests of illegal miners and the revocation of over 3,000 dormant licences.

For traders and buyers, this means more processed and semi-processed products (concentrates, refined lithium compounds, local steel) and tougher checks on raw-ore exports.

Natural resources in Nigeria beyond minerals

People searching “natural resources in Nigeria” usually mean more than minerals. Nigeria also has large areas of arable land, rivers and coastline for fisheries, and forests. Agricultural produce such as cocoa, cashew, sesame, ginger and shea is a major non-oil export. See our guide to Nigeria’s top 10 agricultural products, and our overview of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones for where each resource sits.

Buying or exporting Nigerian minerals: rules and scams

The rules in brief

• Licences: mineral titles are issued through the Mining Cadastre Office’s online system (eMC+). Only buy from titleholders or licensed dealers.
• Export approvals: the Nigeria Trade Information Portal lists the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development among the agencies whose approval is needed, through the National Single Window, for relevant exports.
• Export paperwork: you’ll need Form NXP, NEPC registration and Customs clearance like any other export. Our guide to APMT export verification and the Lagos export process walks through it, and the export cost calculator estimates the NESS levy (0.5% of FOB).
• Value addition: expect more scrutiny of raw ore exports in 2026. Ask whether a processed or concentrated product is the better route.

How to avoid mineral scams

• Gold “at below world price” is the classic scam. Advance-fee fraudsters offer cheap gold dust or bars and ask for “export fees”, “clearing” or “certification” payments up front.
• Get an independent assay from an accredited lab before paying for any ore or concentrate.
• Check the licence number against the cadastre, and visit the site or warehouse if you can.
• Use secure payment terms such as a letter of credit or escrow, never cash to individuals.
• Trace your supply chain. Our guide to responsible critical-minerals sourcing covers due diligence.
• Verify who you’re dealing with. Wigmore’s genuine contacts are on our safety page.

Need help assessing a mineral or commodity opportunity? Book a free 15-minute consultation with our team.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 10 mineral resources in Nigeria and their uses?

Crude oil (fuels, petrochemicals), natural gas (power, LPG, fertiliser), coal (power, cement kilns), iron ore (steel), limestone (cement), gold (jewellery, reserves), lithium (batteries), tin and columbite (solder, alloys), lead/zinc (batteries, galvanising) and barite (drilling mud, paint).

How many mineral resources does Nigeria have?

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development says Nigeria has 44 commercially viable solid minerals in more than 500 locations, plus oil and gas.

What is the most important mineral resource in Nigeria?

Crude oil. Reserves stood at 37.01 billion barrels (with condensate) on 1 January 2026, and oil is still the main source of export earnings. Lithium and gold are the fastest-growing solid minerals by investment.

What are 5 importance of mineral resources in Nigeria?

They earn foreign exchange, raise government revenue, supply raw materials for industry (cement, steel), create jobs, and help diversify the economy away from oil.

Which state has the most mineral resources in Nigeria?

No official ranking exists. States often cited for having many minerals include Nasarawa (lithium, barite, and others), Plateau (tin, columbite, gemstones), Kogi (iron ore, limestone) and Kaduna (gold, gemstones and new lithium finds).

What is the difference between natural resources and mineral resources?

Mineral resources are materials mined from the earth, such as oil, gas, metals and industrial minerals. Natural resources is the wider term and also covers land, water, forests, fisheries and wildlife.

Can I export raw minerals from Nigeria?

Only with the right licences and approvals, and 2026 policy favours local processing before export. Check with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and use the National Single Window before you agree a sale.

Related guides

• Top 10 agricultural products in Nigeria and their uses
• Top 10 fastest-selling commodities in Nigeria
• APMT export verification and the Lagos export process
• Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones

Sources: Premium Times – NUPRC 2026 reserves (Apr 2026); Channels TV – NBS Q1 2026 GDP (May 2026); Vanguard – mining reforms and revenue (May 2026); allAfrica – lithium plants (May 2026); Mondaq – Nigeria’s mining renaissance (2026); Embassy of Nigeria, Bucharest – solid minerals; Nigeria High Commission, Kigali – natural resources; NTIP – export procedures. Reserve estimates are official approximations and may be revised.