Nigeria is betting that its vast mineral deposits can become a new source of investment, exports and industrial growth. But beneath that ambition lies a risk that could prove harder to solve than geology or processing capacity: security. As the government attracts capital into lithium, gold, tin, zinc, iron ore and other minerals, some deposits sit in areas where insecurity, contested land and weak state presence are disrupting economic activity. Across parts of the North Central, violence is displacing farmers, disrupting transport and weakening control over rural land. In some areas, artisanal mining operates alongside this insecurity, creating a more difficult environment for companies seeking to formalise extraction and build processing capacity. A September security assessment by SBM Intelligence highlights