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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Director General, Nigeria Geological Survey Agency ( NGSA) Dr Abdulrazaq Garba has said that strategic minerals would address food insecurity, poverty rate, power challenges and other economic issues that are ravaging the country if properly harnessed.
Dr Garba while interacting with journalists in Abuja, yesterday, said though equal attention is given to the 34 minerals available in the country,the Federal Government decided to focus on the strategic ones.
He explained that they are referred to as strategic minerals due to their availability in commercial quantities in the geopolitical regions.
“Out of the more than 34 mineral types identified in the country, the Federal Government through the MMSD has already decided to concentrate on building an enabling environment for the exploitation of 7 for now, which are called Strategic Minerals. These include Gold, Coal, Iron Ore, Limestone, Lead/Zinc, bitumen and barites. Their strategic importance is borne from the fact that they can be found across all the six geo-political regions in commercial quantities. Furthermore, if well harnessed, these minerals can lead to a dramatic development of Nigeria’s mining landscape. Power Generation, Food Security, and wealth creation are just some of the good things that would come from them.
Going by the dynamics in the world right now where emphasis is being laid on green technology, we are of the opinion that “Lithium” may be added to become the 8th strategic mineral. I must however emphasize that the Federal Government has not selected these minerals to the detriment of others. This means that adequate attention is being given to equally advance other minerals found in the country,he said
The DG further added that the recent upsurge in the influx of mining investors interested in the development of the country’s mineral resources is a testament to the improvement in the quality of data being generated by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency.
“Geoscience Data Generation is primarily from Geological Surveys. The Geological Survey is the Mother of the Mining Industry in any country. If Geological Survey fails, the Mining Industry will necessarily fail. Conversely, if Geological Survey succeeds the Mining Industry will succeed”.
