ACF asks FG to publish full details of Nigeria-US minerals deal

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has asked the Federal Government to publish the full details of the critical minerals agreement it reportedly signed with the United States in New York on 23 September 2026.

The northern socio-cultural group made the demand in a statement issued in Kaduna on Wednesday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof Tukur Muhammad-Baba.

According to the ACF, the deal remains opaque because Nigerians have not seen its terms, scope, financial commitments or how it will be carried out. It said transparency and accountability should not be treated lightly in any arrangement touching Nigeria's strategic minerals.

What the group is asking for

The ACF wants the complete agreement published, including annexes, side letters and later implementation arrangements. It also wants to know what the US has committed in return, such as investments, financing, infrastructure, technology transfer and industrial facilities.

Other questions it raised: whether American companies get preferential access or exclusive buying rights, who owns and can commercially use geological data from exploration, and who is responsible for cleaning up environmental damage, water contamination and displaced communities.

The group also asked for binding guarantees on local employment, skills training, Nigerian ownership, local processing of minerals and compensation for host communities.

It cited Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which makes security and welfare the main purpose of government, Section 16(1)(a) and (b) on managing national resources, and the Freedom of Information Act 2011. It acknowledged that Chapter II provisions are generally not enforceable in court under Section 6(6)(c).

The ACF said its concern was not cooperation with the United States itself. "ACF's concern is not, per se, cooperation with the United States but whether Nigeria, and particularly mineral-producing communities, will receive a fair, transparent and enforceable share of the benefits," the statement said.

Why it matters to the North

Northern Nigeria holds significant deposits of gold, lithium, lead-zinc and other valuable minerals. The ACF said these could create jobs, grow industry and raise public revenue if developed properly, but warned that exporting raw materials alone would leave communities poor.

The group also raised security. It said attacks, killings, kidnappings and displacement in parts of the North could expose mining communities to illegal exploitation and environmental damage. It asked the government and security agencies to explain how mining sites and host communities will be protected, and called for credible investigations into any allegations of illegal mining or foreign involvement in crime.

It urged the National Assembly and regulators to scrutinise the deal, and asked for consultations with state governments, traditional institutions, artisanal miners and affected communities.

What happens next: The sources do not say whether the government has responded to the ACF's demands or set a date for publishing the agreement.