The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has been conferred with the African Leadership Public Service Excellence Award for Solid Minerals Development and Sectoral Reform.
The Minister was honoured by the House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina in the United States in recognition of his exemplary contributions to governance, public service, and reforms in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
Spark News reports that Alake received the award during the African Leadership Public Service Excellence Awards, organised by Africa Leadership Magazine at the Proshansky Auditorium, City University of New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Announcing the conferment, a statement on Wednesday 8th October 2025 by the Minister’s SA on Media, Segun Tomori, said Dr. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers, a member of the parliament presented the award.
Dr. Henderson-Myers applauded the minister’s transformational leadership in repositioning Nigeria’s mining industry for global competitiveness.
The statement disclosed that the organisers of the award also announced that the South Carolina legislature had passed a formal motion of recognition, signed by the Speaker, G. Murrel-Smith Jr., and Clerk, Charles Reid, acknowledging Alake’s distinguished record as a journalist, strategist, and public administrator.
“We, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, commend you on your contributions to Nigerian politics and wish you success in all your future endeavours”, he said.
In the citation presented by Aaron T. Manaigo, former Republican State Senator from New York, the lawmaker chronicled Alake’s four-decade journey across journalism, politics, and public administration.
According to Manaigo, “Dr. Alake began his professional journey as a writer and columnist before serving as Adviser on Information to the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
“He later worked with the pro-democracy movements that birthed Nigeria’s Fourth Republic and served as the Special Adviser on Information to then-Governor Bola Tinubu, now President of Nigeria Today, as Minister, he has redefined leadership in the solid minerals sector.”
Alake expressed gratitude to the organisers and the South Carolina legislature for the recognition on receiving the award, pledging not to lower the standards of governance and accountability that earned him the honour.
He said, “This recognition further strengthens our resolve to continue transforming Nigeria’s solid minerals sector through transparency, innovation, and value addition”.