Fatima Shinkafi

Solid Minerals Development Fund

Executive Secretary

Description

Hajiya Fatima is a formidable leader in Nigeria’s economic and industrial landscape. She currently serves as the Chief Executive of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), a government-owned fund dedicated to driving strategic investments in Nigeria’s mining sector. Under her visionary leadership, SMDF has identified over US$500-600 million worth of projects across formalization, data development, production, and processing within the next five years. Her expertise in the Nigerian mining sector has been instrumental in restructuring the Fund to facilitate access to capital and accelerate the sector’s growth. Breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry, Hajiya Fatima has positioned the Fund as a major player in attracting quality partnerships. A testament to this is SMDF’s groundbreaking partnership with the African Finance Corporation (AFC), to mobilize project development funding and technical advisory to fast-track the closure and operation of commercial-scale mining projects in Nigeria. Through innovative investment tools and strategic co-development initiatives, she is reshaping how mining projects are financed, ensuring that previously unbankable ventures can thrive.