$700bn minerals deal: Alake says no Nigerian asset sold to US

From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has dismissed reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the United States, insisting that no Nigerian asset was sold or transferred.
Alake spoke in Abuja while inaugurating the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector.
He said the agreement between both countries was designed to attract investment, facilitate technology transfer and promote local mineral processing, not to hand over Nigeria’s mineral resources to foreign interests.
“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” the minister declare...