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Nigeria’s 44 Solid Minerals found in 500 Locations in Commercial Quantities

–By Danlami Nasir Isa

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, is blessed with 44 different types of mineral resources in commercial quantities, which are found in over 500 locations in the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.

In the words of Olamilekan Adegbite, who is Nigeria’s Minister of Mines and Steel Development, some of the minerals include baryte, kaolin, gypsum, feldspar, limestone, coal, bitumen, lignite, uranium, gold, cassiterite, columbite, iron ore, lead-zinc, copper, granite, laterite, sapphire, tourmaline, emerald, topaz, amethyst, garnet, among others.

“This clearly demonstrates the wide mineral spectrum we are endowed with, which offers limitless opportunities along the value chain, for job creation, revenue growth and among others,” he said. The minister further expressed that “Nigeria provides one of the highest rates of return because its minerals are closer to the surface.”

He maintained that the first phase of Nigeria’s mineral exploration project known as the National Integrated Mineral Exploration Programme, was designed to rapidly generate bankable geoscientific data had been completed.

While assuring that the Federal Government had already commenced the process of retrieving Nigeria’s colonial geological data from the United Kingdom, Adegbite explained that the move will immensely benefit any interested investor in the Nigerian mining and minerals sector.

His words: “We are engaging the British Geological Survey (BGS) to build a national electronic geo-data archiving management system to be called the Nigerian Geo-Data Centre at the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency. This will provide easy access to geoscience data for prospective investors on potential areas to target for exploration and mining within and outside Nigeria.

“Currently, there is an ongoing review of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007. The aim of the review is to bring legislation into conformity with global best practices, limiting the role of government to that of regulation and creating space for the private sector to maintain a more expansive presence in the sector.”

In June 2022, during the Nigerian Day at the 2022 International Convention, Trade Show and Investors Exchange, organized by Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, the Minister seized the moment to call global attention to Nigeria’s endowment with quality commercial minerals that are spread, in his word, “over 500 different locations across the country.”

Valuechain’s assessment of Nigeria’s official mining data revealed that these minerals cut across a broad spectrum, with the deposits categorized into five groups according to their uses. These are industrial minerals, such as barite, kaolin, gypsum, feldspar and limestone; energy minerals, such as bitumen, lignite and uranium; metallic ore minerals, such as gold, cassiterite, columbite, iron ore, lead-zinc and copper; construction minerals, such as granite, gravel, laterite and sand; as well as precious stones, such as sapphire, tourmaline, emerald, topaz, amethyst, and garnet, among many others.

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