What You Need to Know
During the Kenya Mining Investment Conference, Nigeria’s Minister Dele Alake humorously recounted his confusion over Hassan Joho’s title as Cabinet Secretary, leading to laughter among delegates. The incident highlighted the differences in official titles between Kenya and Nigeria, adding a light-hearted moment to discussions on mining opportunities and regional cooperation in Africa’s extractive.
Africa-Press – Kenya. Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, on Tuesday left delegates laughing after he recounted how he once questioned Hassan Joho’s title when they first met at an African mining forum.
Speaking during the Kenya Mining Investment Conference and Expo (MICE) 2026 in Nairobi, Alake said he initially did not understand why Joho was introduced as a Cabinet Secretary instead of a minister.
In Nigeria, cabinet-level officials are referred to as ministers, while in Kenya, they are known as Cabinet Secretaries.
Dele said when he first met Joho at a forum of the African Minerals Strategy Group, he mistakenly thought Joho held a junior position because of the title.
“We refer to his position in Nigeria as minister. But when I first met him at our forum of the African Mining Strategy Group, and he was introduced as a Cabinet Secretary, so ignorantly, I said, ‘My friend, this is a forum for ministers,’” Dele said.
The Nigerian minister said he was later corrected that in Kenya, the official title is Cabinet Secretary, prompting him to warmly welcome Joho.
“Until I was corrected that in Kenya, the nomenclature is ‘Cabinet Secretary’. So I warmly welcomed him and hugged him,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Earlier, Joho had invited Alake to make his remarks before addressing the gathering himself, saying he would keep his own speech brief.
“Before I make my remarks, Your Excellency, allow me, on behalf of my visiting brothers, to invite Honourable Dele Alake to make some few remarks,” Joho said.
The exchange added a light moment to the conference, which brought together ministers and investors from across Africa to discuss mining opportunities, value addition and regional cooperation in the extractives sector.
Joho had on Sunday hosted a formal dinner ahead of the two-day conference attended by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, ministers from Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and other regional delegates.
In a post on X, Joho said the meeting reflected a shared commitment to strengthen partnerships and unlock Africa’s mineral potential.
“Your attendance is a testament to our collective resolve to strengthen regional cooperation, promote strategic partnerships, and unlock the vast potential within the mining sector,” he said.
He described the conference as one of Kenya’s most anticipated gatherings of mining industry leaders, investors and innovation players.
The Kenya Mining Investment Conference and Expo is focused on positioning Kenya as a major destination for mining investment while pushing for greater local value addition and stronger regional collaboration across Africa’s mineral sector.
The Kenya Mining Investment Conference and Expo serves as a significant platform for discussing mining opportunities in Africa. It brings together key stakeholders, including ministers and investors, to explore regional cooperation and value addition in the extractives sector. The event reflects the growing interest in Africa’s mineral potential and the importance of strategic partnerships among African nations. In this context, the humorous exchange between Nigerian Minister Dele Alake and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho underscores the cultural and administrative differences that exist within the continent’s governance structures.
