The Lithium and Marble Goldmine: A Sub-national Blueprint for Oyo State’s Solid Mineral Independence

The Governor’s deliberate structuring of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, alongside the proactive engagements of the Oyo State Mineral Development Agency (OYSMIDA), signals a clear political will to organize this sector. However, as the clock ticks toward 2027, the Pacesetter State must now aggressively pivot from administrative regulation to full-scale commercialization. Oyo State must assert its dominance in the global solid minerals market.

From the massive marble deposits in Igbeti to the world-class lithium pegmatites and tantalite scattered across the Òkè-Ògùn region, Oyo State is practically a polymetallic province. Yet, a glaring paradox persists: the economic realities of the host communities do not reflect the billions of naira buried beneath their soil.

Historically, the extraction of these precious resources has been heavily dominated by artisanal operators, illegal miners, and foreign smugglers. Because mining is placed on the Exclusive Legislative List of the Federal Government, states have traditionally folded their arms, watching massive wealth leave their borders while they inherit only environmental degradation and compromised security. If Oyo State is to achieve true fiscal independence, we must bridge the gap between federal legislation and sub-national economic participation. We must stop the revenue leakage.

To massively boost our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and secure our resource wealth, the Makinde administration must deploy the following strategic frameworks:

Oyo State must stop acting merely as a host and start acting as a major shareholder. Using the state-owned Pacesetter Mineral Development Company as a vehicle, the government must aggressively acquire federal mining licenses and enter into structured Joint Ventures (JVs) with serious international mining corporations. The state must hold equity in every large-scale extraction operation happening within its borders, ensuring direct dividend payments into the state treasury.

The era of exporting raw soil must end. The state government must mandate that any company extracting lithium, marble, or gemstones in Oyo State must process them locally. By establishing a “Solid Minerals Beneficiation Hub” in the Òkè-Ògùn corridor—powered by the state’s newly decentralized energy grid—we can transform raw lithium ore (which sells for pennies) into high-grade battery concentrates. This will create thousands of high-paying industrial jobs for our youths and position Oyo State as a critical player in the global clean-energy supply chain.

Resource wealth attracts non-state actors. The security of our mining host communities is non-negotiable. The state government should immediately create a specialized “Mining Infrastructure Guard” within the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun). This heavily equipped unit will focus solely on protecting legal mining operations, enforcing the Community Development Agreements (CDAs), and routing out illegal, armed miners from our forests.

A state’s greatness is not defined by what it has, but by what it strategically harnesses. The multi-billion-dollar solid mineral deposits in Oyo State hold the key to wiping out our sub-national debt and fully funding our educational and healthcare institutions for decades.

Governor Seyi Makinde has proven his capacity for bold, structural reforms. If he successfully commercializes the lithium and marble beneath our soil, he will have unlocked the ultimate economic vault of the Pacesetter State, leaving behind a legacy of absolute financial independence.

David Alani Ige (The Scribe) Institutional Archivist & Public Commentator.

Igboho, Oyo State