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The Federal Government has challenged the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) to expand its graduate training programme to prepare more young Nigerians for employment and business opportunities in the solid minerals sector.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, gave the charge at the inauguration of the maiden Post-NYSC Graduate Youth Knowledge Empowerment and Capacity-Building Programme in Abuja.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Faruk Yusuf Yabo, Alake said the programme was critical to bridging the gap between university education and the practical skills required by the mining industry.
He said Nigeria’s rich deposits of gold, lithium, iron ore, barite and limestone offered enormous opportunities for economic diversification, industrialisation and job creation.
According to him, “The solid minerals sector offers enormous opportunities for young Nigerians, but they must be equipped with the right skills and technical knowledge to take advantage of them.”
The minister urged the participants to acquire practical skills in geological mapping, mineral exploration, geophysical and geochemical investigations, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, laboratory analysis and digital technology.
He also challenged the graduates to abandon the mindset of depending solely on government and conventional employment, urging them to become entrepreneurs in the mining value chain.
“Rather than waiting for conventional employment, graduates should explore opportunities in mineral testing, exploration support services, mineral processing, environmental consultancy and mining technology,” he said.
Alake urged the NGSA to partner universities, research institutions, professional bodies and private sector operators to expand the programme and provide more opportunities for young graduates.
Earlier, Director-General of NGSA, Prof. Olusegun Ige, said the initiative was designed to equip young geoscience graduates with industry-driven skills, improve their professional competence and enhance their employability.
Ige disclosed that the agency received nearly 500 applications but could only select a limited number because of resource constraints.
He said participants were drawn from the six geopolitical zones to ensure national representation.
The NGSA boss explained that the programme was introduced to address the lack of practical exposure among geology graduates during their university education.
He added that experienced professionals in the agency would serve as facilitators to give participants hands-on training and industry experience.
Ige also recalled the agency’s previous capacity-building initiatives, including the recognition of outstanding university research projects, noting that one of the award recipients was subsequently engaged as an intern by the agency.
A former NGSA Director-General, Alex Nduibisi, described the initiative as timely, lamenting that inadequate practical facilities in some universities had created a gap between academic training and industry demands.
He urged the agency to increase the number of beneficiaries in subsequent editions.
Similarly, Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office, Simon Nkom, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Technical, Mr Dauda Dinga, commended the programme and called for its extension to mining engineering graduates.
He noted that competent geoscientists and mining engineers were essential to effective mineral title administration.
The representative of the Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof. Nathaniel Goki, also called for sustained collaboration between the university and NGSA, particularly in geoscience research and access to seismic monitoring data.
Responding on behalf of the participants, trainee representative, Yakubu Nana, expressed appreciation to the agency for the opportunity, pledging that the graduates would put the knowledge acquired to good use.
He said the participants were determined to apply their newly acquired skills to the development of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
