Solid Minerals Fund to Hold Guidance Sessions for Grant Applicants

The Solid Minerals Development Fund has announced two live information sessions for prospective applicants seeking grants under its EMERGE initiative, part of a broader government push to draw investment into Nigeria’s mining sector.

The sessions, disclosed in a notice issued Wednesday, will walk interested applicants through the funding opportunities available, eligibility criteria and how to apply. Hosted by the EMERGE team, the sessions are meant to give applicants a chance to ask questions and get clarity before submitting their applications.

The first session, focused on Exploration and Critical Minerals, holds Thursday, August 20, from 12pm to 1pm. A second session on Research and Development follows on Friday, August 21, from 11am to 12pm.

According to the Fund, the sessions are designed to give applicants a clearer understanding of the available funding streams and what’s required to access them, while creating room for direct engagement with the team running the programme. The SMDF has encouraged individuals, researchers, innovators and other eligible stakeholders working in the solid minerals space to take part.

EMERGE was set up to tackle one of the biggest obstacles facing Nigeria’s mining industry  getting promising mineral projects past the early exploration stage. Despite the country’s rich deposits of commercially valuable minerals, many projects stall due to a lack of capital, technical expertise and geological data needed to reach commercial production.

The programme addresses this by offering catalytic grants, technical support and research funding for early-stage exploration, critical minerals development, processing and geoscience research  with the goal of building a pipeline of projects ready to attract private investment.

It forms part of a wider government strategy to turn solid minerals into a major driver of economic growth, job creation and export earnings, while easing Nigeria’s reliance on crude oil. By backing projects at the riskier early stages, the Fund hopes to help developers generate the technical groundwork needed to become commercially viable and investor-ready.

Applications for EMERGE grants remain open, with prospective applicants directed to the programme’s application platform for further details. The upcoming sessions are expected to serve as a key entry point for those looking to understand how their projects can qualify for support.