Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki Gambari owns one of Nigeria’s largest gold mining companies, operating in 30 states and taking a chance on what many had ignored.

Growing up near colonial-era tin mines in the city of Jos sparked Gambari’s early interest in the value of the earth. This led him to establish Kursi Investments Limited in 2005. The company has since grown into a group operating in 30 Nigerian states, mining gold, copper, lead, zinc, silver, tin, and rare earth minerals. His group of companies actually spans mining, manufacturing, trading, and agriculture, with its headquarters in Abuja.

Gambari is now Nigeria’s most prominent indigenous mining entrepreneur, advocating internationally for the development of a domestic industry in this historically neglected sector.

According to Billionaires.Africa, Gambari, born on October 8, 1975, is from a respected family in Ilorin, Kwara State, though he was born in Kaduna. His three decades of experience in the mining sector, which started early in Maiduguri and Jos (where he was raised), helped him understand the geology, logistics, economics, and politics of the industry. 

He holds an HND in Public Administration from Plateau State Polytechnic and received mining training at the Nigeria Mining School in Jos, along with various certifications.

Kursi initially focused on overlooked lead and zinc minerals in north-central Nigeria. Between 2010 and 2015, Kursi became a leading Nigerian lead/zinc exporter, with Gambari credited for recognizing the sector’s global potential.

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Despite the solid minerals sector’s long-standing problems—underfunding, weak regulation, poor infrastructure, and complicated licensing (even after the 2007 Mining Act)—Kursi grew, with Gambari successfully acquiring key mining titles across several states.

The funds generated from the successful lead/zinc business were necessary for reinvestment and establishing new partnerships.

In 2016, Gambari partnered with Chinese experts for technical knowledge and capital to explore gold. This led to Kursi establishing what is now Nigeria’s most productive gold mine. His pivot to gold came amid rising global gold prices and Nigeria’s push to diversify revenue beyond oil through solid minerals. 

In fact, before gold mining was a major focus for the government, Kuris was already in the sector. This was a smart move, as Kursi became Nigeria’s biggest local mining company. It currently works in 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states, with 22 offices.

Kursi also joined the Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC), so it could prove its gold is traceable and sourced ethically, meeting international environmental and social governance norms.

Along the way, Gambari’s national influence earned him the MFR national honour from President Muhammadu Buhari and The Guardian Nigeria’s “most inspiring CEO” designation in 2023. In January 2024, the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) named him an Honorary Fellow for promoting mineral exploration research and scientific knowledge, including organizing field trips. He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineering in Geology (FNSEG).

Globally, he is a respected figure in mining investment, championing Nigerian interests at international events like Mines and Money London and the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh.

His company, Kursi, prioritizes community investment to ensure stable operations and mitigate disruptions. In this vein, he has drilled and installed solar-powered boreholes in seven locations to serve the communities around his mine sites. In Kwara State, where his family comes from, Gambari supports entrepreneurs, youth, men and women via the Yahaya Seriki Foundation’s N250 million ($181,000) Cash Boost Initiative.

All in all, Gambari aims to boost the underperforming solid minerals sector, which contributes only 0.15% to GDP versus a 3% target.

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Besides his entrepreneurial strides, Gambari, a prominent Kwara APC chieftain, has a notable political career. He was a key figure in the “O To Ge” movement, which ended Bukola Saraki’s political dominance in 2019. After initially seeking the Kwara governorship that year, he withdrew to back AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, who won. He subsequently served as AbdulRasaq’s campaign’s Director General. In 2022, he announced his plan to contest the Kwara Central Senatorial District seat.

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