Nigeria eyes $2 billion Chinese investment for aluminum sector

On a warm afternoon in Abuja, conversation turned to an industry many had long written off as dormant. Nigeria's steel and aluminum ambitions, often discussed, rarely realised, were back on the table as the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, received a delegation from GCL Group.

Rather than broad declarations, the meeting focused on a concrete proposal. The Chinese firm GCL signalled its intention to submit plans for a primary aluminum smelter designed to produce 3 million tonnes annually. With projected costs exceeding USD 2 billion, the scheme could become one of the most significant