ADC Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar
The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government to publish the full details of the recently announced $700bn Nigeria-United States minerals investment framework.
It said Nigerians and the National Assembly should be allowed to examine the agreement because of the country’s vast mineral wealth.
The call was made on Tuesday in a post on X by Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe. He argued that the government should release the complete document, including any annexes or side letters, to promote transparency and public confidence.
According to him, the agreement should not be mistaken for a $700 billion American investment, explaining that the figure represents the Federal Government’s estimated value of Nigeria’s mineral resources.
Paul Ibe raised several questions about the framework. He asked what minerals are covered, whether American companies would enjoy preferential access, what geological data Nigeria would provide, and whether there are tax concessions or guarantees. He also questioned whether the minerals would be processed in Nigeria or exported as raw materials and sought clarity on provisions relating to local content, technology transfer, job creation and dispute resolution.
He further asked whether the Senate and the House of Representatives had received the complete agreement for scrutiny.
Quoting relevant constitutional provisions, Ibe stated: “The National Assembly is not a spectator. Section 12 of the Constitution provides that a treaty with another country cannot have the force of law in Nigeria unless enacted by the National Assembly. Sections 88 and 89 also give the legislature important investigative and oversight powers.”
He added that while not every framework agreement requires legislative approval, any arrangement involving fiscal concessions, guarantees, public spending or strategic national resources should be subjected to parliamentary oversight.
Calling for greater openness, he said: “There is a very simple way for the government to clear the air: publish the annexes and side letters, if any.”
He also urged the government to disclose whether the complete agreement had been sent to the National Assembly.
According to him: “Let us know exactly what America gets and exactly what Nigeria gets.”
He maintained that: “Nigeria’s mineral wealth belongs to Nigeria. Agreements governing resources of such enormous strategic value should never depend on secrecy. Nigeria’s mineral resources should never be used as a leverage to achieve personal political end.”
He appealed to President Tinubu, saying: “Mr President, publish the deal. Let the National Assembly scrutinise what falls within its constitutional powers. Let Nigerians read the agreement and judge for themselves.”
