The Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) has announced two virtual information sessions for prospective applicants seeking funding under the Federal Government’s Early-Stage Mineral Exploration and Research Grant Endowment (EMERGE) programme. The interactive sessions are scheduled for Thursday, August 20, and Friday, August 21, 2026, and aim to clarify eligibility requirements, funding streams, and the application process.
According to the SMDF, the first session will focus on Exploration and Critical Minerals, running from 12pm to 1pm on Thursday, while the second session, dedicated to Research and Development, is set for Friday from 11am to 12pm. Both sessions will be hosted by the EMERGE team, allowing prospective applicants to ask questions directly and receive guidance before submitting their applications. The fund urged explorers, researchers, innovators, and other eligible stakeholders to participate to better understand the requirements for accessing the grants.
EMERGE is a funding programme of the SMDF, an agency under the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, established to address financing gaps that have historically constrained early-stage mineral exploration and research in Nigeria. The programme provides catalytic funding and technical support designed to move promising projects from early exploration toward investment readiness. It operates through three funding streams: Exploration, Critical Minerals, and Research and Development.
Under the Exploration stream, grants support grassroots and early-stage activities such as geological mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys, drilling, and assaying. The Critical Minerals stream targets minerals considered strategically important to Nigeria, including lithium, tin, tantalum, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements, as well as innovative processing technologies that promote domestic value addition. The Research and Development stream backs applied research in geoscience and mineral processing, with eligible beneficiaries including Nigerian universities, research institutions, and master’s and PhD researchers in relevant disciplines.
Eligibility criteria vary by stream. Early-stage exploration companies must have undertaken some prospecting, be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, hold valid Mining Cadastre licences, and possess credible geological data and qualified technical teams. Postgraduate researchers need proof of enrolment, a research proposal, institutional affiliation, and support from a supervisor or referee. Universities and research institutions must provide accreditation details and information on their research capacity and project teams.
The Federal Government launched EMERGE in June as part of broader reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, improve geological data, encourage mineral exploration, and promote local processing and value addition. Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake said at the launch that the grant programme aims to address critical gaps in financing and technical support while creating a pipeline of investment-ready mining projects.
The SMDF confirmed that applications remain open and encouraged prospective beneficiaries to gather adequate information before submitting proposals. Interested applicants can access the programme’s application portal and details on eligibility and funding streams through the official EMERGE platform.
