As global economies race to secure new sources of growth amid shifting energy dynamics and declining reliance on fossil fuels, Nigeria is repositioning itself to unlock the full potential of its vast natural resources.
Central to this effort is a renewed focus on economic diversification as a pathway to long-term stability and prosperity. Within this framework, President Bola Tinubu, upon assuming office in 2023, set an ambitious target to expand Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product to $1tn by 2030.
Analysts contend that realising this vision will largely depend on the capacity of non-oil sectors to generate sustainable revenue and create employment opportunities.
One sector drawing increasing attention is solid minerals. Endowed with critical minerals essential to the global energy transition, Nigeria holds a strategic advantage that could be leveraged for domestic economic growth.
Experts, however, stress that unlocking this potential will require decisive reforms and stronger regulatory frameworks to formalise the industry and ensure it contributes meaningfully to national development.
To advance this goal, the Federal Government introduced reforms such as the Value Addition of Minerals Policy and the “use it or lose it” principle for mineral title licences.
According to The PUNCH, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed that sector earnings rose from N8.6bn in 2022 to N38bn in 2024.
He noted that by December 12, 2025, the solid minerals sector had surpassed N50bn in revenue, a growth largely attributed to the digitalisation of the Mining Cadastre.
This includes revenue from the Mining Cadastre Office, which increased to N30bn in 2025 from N12bn in 2024.
He said reforms driven by digital tools and new policies had positioned the ministry for threefold revenue growth across its agencies.
“That is the trajectory we have set for the sector. Mines Inspectorate revenue is up, and other revenue departments have also improved. Last year, we recorded about N38bn. This year, we have crossed N50bn already, and we are still counting,” Alake said.
Beyond crude oil, agriculture and solid minerals, scorpion venom has now emerged as an unconventional but valuable resource.
In a quiet but carefully controlled laboratory in Maryland, Lagos State, thousands of scorpions rest inside transparent plastic enclosures, each carrying a substance so rare and valuable that it ranks among the most expensive liquids in the world.
Here, scorpions are not symbols of danger but biological assets whose venom holds enormous scientific and economic value.
This laboratory is at the heart of an emerging industry, not a scene from a science fiction film, but the reality of a growing biomedical enterprise that could redefine Nigeria’s export landscape and job creation efforts.
At the centre of this innovation is a retired Corporal of the Nigerian Air Force and Farm Operations Manager at Liman Usman Global Ltd, Muhammad Usman.
Popularly known as the “Scorpion Doctor”, he is redefining agribusiness in Nigeria by pioneering commercial scorpion farming and venom extraction.
His work represents a rare intersection of discipline, scientific curiosity and entrepreneurial courage, transforming one of nature’s most feared creatures into a source of national opportunity.
From military service to scientific calling
Few anticipated this transition. When Muhammad Usman retired from active service in December 2024, after years of operating in high-risk environments across northern Nigeria, hardly anyone imagined that his next mission would involve scorpions rather than security operations.
His experience during the war against insurgency shaped his worldview and work ethic.
Usman told Sunday PUNCH that the idea of scorpion farming was planted during an ordinary moment in an extraordinary setting. While on sentry duty, he encountered information that would redirect his life.
“I was on sentry duty in the military, scrolling through media, when I came across a notification about scorpion farming in Morocco. That immediately caught my attention,” he said.
Rather than dismiss the idea as unrealistic, Usman immersed himself in research, studying the biology of scorpions, their venom and global market demand.
Beyond fear and superstition
Despite their fearsome reputation, Usman said scorpions are widely misunderstood, as he calmly placed several on his head and body during the interview.
According to him, fear often stems from misinformation rather than reality.
“Scorpions are generally calm creatures and do not attack unless they feel threatened. They only sting when provoked,” he said.
He added that his deep understanding of scorpion behaviour has enabled him to handle them confidently, a skill honed through years of careful observation and practice.
Usman noted that scorpion farming remains extremely rare in Nigeria, placing him at the forefront of a largely unexplored industry.
“Scorpion farming is still very rare in Nigeria. In fact, this is the only operational scorpion farm in the country. I also train and manage individuals interested in entering the industry,” he said.
Massive returns
Usman emphasised that the global market for scorpion venom is expanding rapidly, with international prices ranging from $7,000 to $9,000 per litre and about $39m per gallon.
“Scorpion farming is highly lucrative, and the venom has immense medical value. This is not a product sold casually. Online sources show that a gallon of scorpion venom can cost up to $39m. Its value, especially when converted to naira, is extraordinary,” he said.
However, he cautioned that the business requires patience.
“This is not a business where you invest today and gain immediate profit. You may spend up to a year investing in scorpion farming and feel as though resources are being wasted,” he said.
According to him, the returns, when realised, can be staggering.
“When the venom is eventually sold, the outcome is remarkable. In fact, people might even think the income comes from illegal means because the returns are not in thousands of naira, but in millions of dollars,” he added.
Medical and export potential
Beyond revenue, Usman explained that scorpion venom plays a vital role in modern medicine.
“Scorpion venom is used in developing anti-cancer drugs, painkillers and even cosmetic products,” he said.
He explained that scorpion venom contains complex bioactive compounds with multiple medical applications, including treatments for autoimmune diseases.
One key compound, chlorotoxin, has demonstrated the ability to bind specifically to cancer cells, particularly brain tumours, making it valuable for targeted therapies and tumour identification.
Proteins derived from scorpion venom are also being studied for treating rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, malaria and chronic pain.
Some compounds, he further noted, show promise as non-opioid pain relief agents by modulating immune responses and reducing inflammation.
Development for cancer care
The President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, while speaking with Sunday PUNCH, highlighted the growing importance of scorpion venom in cancer diagnosis and treatment, describing it as a breakthrough in modern oncology.
He said scorpion venom is a complex mixture of bioactive peptides capable of interacting with human cells in highly specific ways.
According to him, international studies show that venom-derived compounds are already being used in brain tumour surgeries.
“These peptides have the unique ability to distinguish cancer cells from normal, healthy cells. They help surgeons clearly identify tumour margins during operations, improving precision and reducing damage to surrounding tissue,” he said.
Ifeanyi added that processed scorpion venom is extremely valuable due to its biomedical and therapeutic significance.
Researchers, he said, are incorporating venom-derived compounds into chemotherapeutic drugs, nanotechnology-based treatments and radioisotopes used to map cancer cells.
“A single gram of refined scorpion venom can be worth close to $1m. The goal is to improve patient outcomes while minimising harm to healthy cells,” Ifeanyi added.
Implications for Nigeria
Usman believes Nigeria can emerge as a recognised exporter in this niche biomedical market, as it is capable of creating jobs, advancing scientific research, and reducing reliance on traditional commodities.
“Nigeria can become a leading exporter in this specialised biomedical market. Scorpion farming can create employment, advance scientific research and reduce dependence on traditional commodity exports,” he said.
“With the right policies, regulation and public awareness, this industry could reposition Nigeria within the global bio-economy as the country diversifies away from crude oil.”
Ifeanyi, however, noted that despite Nigeria’s abundance of scorpion species, the country remains largely absent from the global venom-based research economy.
He lamented that most extraction efforts are private, small-scale and focused on exporting raw materials without value addition.
“We produce papers, not products. Research that does not translate into therapy or industry is wasted effort,” Ifeanyi added.
Capital-intensive venture
For those interested in scorpion farming, Usman said it requires significant financial investment and technical expertise.
He explained that each scorpion is sourced from forest hunters at an average cost of N5,000, while the laboratory currently houses more than 10,000 scorpions.
Each transparent plastic enclosure costs N3,000, with over 600 units currently in use. He added that biomedical refrigerators needed for proper venom storage cost up to N6m.
“It is not a business you rush into. It requires patience, technical knowledge and substantial start-up capital,” he advised.
Feeding, habitat and extraction
Usman explained that although scorpions can live up to eight years in the wild, relocation to controlled environments often reduces their lifespan to about five years.
To mitigate this, the laboratory recreates natural habitats by placing water and tree stems in each enclosure to reduce stress.
Feeding, he said, remains one of the most challenging aspects of the operation.
“Scorpions are fed live prey such as cockroaches, mealworms and snails, usually once a week,” he said.
However, sourcing mealworms remains difficult,
“Mealworms are not widely farmed in Nigeria, and scorpions cannot survive on substitutes like black soldier fly larvae,” he said.
Usman noted that this gap presents an opportunity within the agricultural value chain.
“In countries like Dubai, Malaysia and Pakistan, people earn significant income from mealworm and cockroach farming,” he said.
Usman extracts venom from about 1,000 scorpions daily, yielding just nine to ten millilitres.
Using tweezers, tongs and low-voltage electro-stimulators, the scorpions release venom naturally and are returned to recover.
“Venom accumulation is slow, which is why maintaining a large population is essential. Extraction is spaced every seven to ten days per scorpion to reduce stress and preserve venom quality,” he explained.
Looking ahead, scorpion venom innovation, alongside crude oil, agriculture and solid minerals, has the potential to become a reliable source of revenue and a driver of economic growth for Nigeria.
