New york: The House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, United States, has honoured Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, for his contributions to governance, public service, and reforms in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector. The recognition took place during the African Leadership Public Service Excellence Awards, organised by Africa Leadership Magazine at the Proshansky Auditorium, City University of New York, coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
According to Voice of Nigeria, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Mr Segun Tomori, disclosed that a formal motion of recognition was passed by the South Carolina legislature. The motion, signed by Speaker G. Murrel-Smith Jr. and Clerk Charles Reid, acknowledged Dr Alake’s distinguished record as a journalist, strategist, and public administrator. Dr Rosalyn Henderson-Myers, a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, presented the award and commended Dr Alake’s leadership in re
positioning Nigeria’s mining industry for global competitiveness.
The commendation was part of a citation delivered by former Republican State Senator from New York, Hon. Aaron T. Manaigo, who highlighted Dr Alake’s extensive career in journalism, politics, and public administration. Manaigo noted Dr Alake’s early career as a writer and columnist, his advisory role to the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, and his work with pro-democracy movements that contributed to Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Dr Alake also served as Special Adviser on Information to then-Governor Bola Tinubu, now the President of Nigeria.
Upon receiving the award, Dr Alake expressed gratitude to the organisers and the South Carolina legislature for the honour. He vowed to maintain high standards of governance and accountability in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector. Dr Alake detailed ongoing reforms within the Ministry, including the establishment of mining marshals, satellite monitoring to deter illegal mining, revocation of dormant licences, and the
digitisation of mining operations to boost transparency and investor confidence.
Dr Alake reiterated the Nigerian government’s commitment to local value addition, discouraging raw mineral exports and emphasising local processing to foster job creation, technology transfer, and industrial development. He highlighted that his advocacy at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh in January 2024 led to the formation of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), where he serves as the inaugural chairman. Dr Alake called on global investors to invest in Africa’s mining value chains, stressing the importance of local mineral processing for wealth creation and sustainable growth.