Nigeria, June 1 -- Nigeria's bold shift to mandate local processing of minerals by foreign firms is rapidly transforming its mining industry, attracting strategic investments, driving industrial development, and offering new economic opportunities. However, beneath this wave of reform, disturbing reports of lawlessness, particularly involving Chinese-owned companies, have stirred controversy and drawn strong condemnation from lawmakers who now threaten to revoke the licenses of non-compliant operators.

The local processing policy, introduced in 2024 by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, mandates that all foreign mining companies must refine or process minerals like lithium, gold, and iron ore within Nigeria before export. This m...