$700bn US mineral deal: Arewa Forum urges government to explain what Nigeria will gain

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has urged Nigeria’s federal government to disclose the terms, benefits and implications of its $700 billion mineral deal with the United States. The forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Mohammed-Baba, called for transparency in a Saturday interview on Arise Television, saying an agreement of this scale should not be kept secret while Nigerians face economic hardship. Nigeria signed a critical minerals framework with the United States on September 23, 2026, at Nigeria House in New York, on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly. Mohammed-Baba urged the Tinubu administration to publish the full details to prevent suspicion and mistrust.