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IGA Capital eyes $100m-plus solid minerals investment in Ebonyi through partnership with Ifeanyi Odii

byPress Release

September 30, 2026 6:10 pm

Joshua Hawley - Chief Executive Officer, IGA Capital (L) Ifeanyi Odi, the facilitator of the investment

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Dubai-based investment and project finance firm IGA Capital is exploring a potential investment partnership with Ifeanyi Odii that could bring more than $100 million in financing to solid-minerals projects in Ebonyi State beginning in 2027.

The proposed initiative would focus on developing commercially viable mineral assets, processing facilities and related infrastructure, with the broader aim of attracting international capital into Ebonyi’s mining sector.

IGA Capital is led by Joshua Hawley, its Founder and Chief Executive Officer. The globally recognised UAE-based investment and project finance firm provides debt financing and structured capital solutions for major projects across sectors including infrastructure, energy, mining and agribusiness, with financing capacity starting at $100 million for qualifying projects.

Hawley is also identified by the Mining & Critical Minerals Middle East Conference and Expo as the founder and CEO of IGA Capital, with experience in structured finance, project finance and investment banking.

Proposed partnership would depend on Odii taking office

The potential Ebonyi investment is being discussed in the context of Odii’s 2027 governorship bid and his stated plans to attract private and international investment into the state.

Under the proposed framework, IGA Capital would work with Odii’s team and relevant stakeholders to identify viable mineral projects, assess their technical and commercial feasibility and develop financing structures that could be presented to international capital providers.

Odii, the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Ebonyi, has said he wants to make the state a preferred investment destination by pursuing economic development and industrialisation, infrastructure development, human-capital development and institutional reforms.

He has specifically identified solid minerals as an area with significant economic potential.

“My administration will establish an institution to coordinate mining activities in the state and work closely with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals to ensure proper licensing and compliance,” Odii said in an interview with THISDAY. He also said his proposed administration would document and publicize mineral deposits to attract credible investors and increase participation by Ebonyi businesses in the mining value chain.

Hawley: Capital should create jobs and economic value

Hawley has emphasized that IGA Capital’s approach to mining finance extends beyond simply providing capital for extraction.

In a statement prepared for the proposed Ebonyi investment discussions, Hawley said:

“We are coming to Nigeria not simply to identify projects that are profitable on paper, but to find opportunities where our capital can create visible and measurable impact in the lives of people. Ebonyi State has significant potential in solid minerals, and we are prepared to explore investments that can unlock that potential through responsible mining, processing, infrastructure and industrial development.

“Our interest in Ebonyi is closely tied to the leadership and vision of Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii. If he assumes office and provides the leadership, policy direction and investment environment necessary for credible investors to operate, IGA Capital is prepared to work with his administration to develop bankable solid-mineral projects and explore an investment programme that could exceed $100 million from 2027.

“We are particularly interested in projects where deployed capital can generate jobs, develop infrastructure, support local businesses and create value within Ebonyi. Our objective is not simply to extract resources, but to help build an investment ecosystem in which mining, processing, industrialisation and infrastructure development can grow together.”

IGA Capital’s published materials show that the firm has been developing its focus on strategic-minerals financing and works around structures that can include project finance, strategic equity, export-credit financing and other forms of structured capital, depending on the project.

Ebonyi’s mineral potential

The proposed investment comes as Nigeria seeks to attract more international capital into its solid-minerals industry and move from the export of raw minerals toward greater domestic processing and beneficiation.

The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission identifies salt, limestone, lead, zinc, coal, kaolin and granite among Ebonyi’s mineral resources and highlights opportunities in mining and related industrial activities.

For Ebonyi, the potential development of commercially viable mining projects could extend beyond extraction to include processing, transportation, equipment supply, infrastructure, technical services and local manufacturing.

That could create opportunities for employment and participation by indigenous companies, although the scale of those benefits would depend on the projects ultimately selected, financed and developed.

Investment discussions facilitated by Dotmount Communications

The proposed engagement between IGA Capital and Odii’s team is being facilitated by Anna Ochigbo, Head of Investment and Executive Director of Dotmount Communications, an international communications, strategic advisory and investment-promotion firm that connects governments, businesses and institutional stakeholders with international investors, media platforms and strategic partners.

In her role, Ochigbo is coordinating discussions between IGA Capital and Odii’s team, helping to identify potential investment opportunities, facilitate high-level engagement and support the development of a framework for international investment in Ebonyi’s solid-minerals sector.