The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening geoscientific data, exploration and professional capacity to accelerate the development of Nigeria’s mineral resources.
Dr. Alake, stated this at the 4th Annual International Conference and Training Workshop of the Nigerian Association of Exploration Geophysicists (NAEG) in Abuja, with the theme, “Geophysics: A Critical Driver in Resource Exploration, Environmental Management and Infrastructural Development.”
The Minister represented Director of planning and Special projects at the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Hadiza Godi, said geophysics remained central to unlocking Nigeria’s underground resources, protecting the environment and providing reliable information for infrastructure development.
He described the discipline as critical to the country’s economic diversification agenda and the sustainable development of the mining sector.
He said the ministry, through the NGSA, had expanded geological mapping and high-resolution airborne geophysical surveys, leading to the identification of deposits of critical minerals including lithium, graphite, copper, manganese and rare earth elements, as well as iron, lead, zinc and aluminium.
Alake also stated that the government was improving access to geological and geophysical information through the digitisation of its archives and upgraded data management platforms, aimed at reducing investment risks and improving transparency in the mining sector.
The Minister further reiterated the government’s commitment to value addition, stressing that the era of exporting raw mineral ores was gradually coming to an end.
He said mining companies were being encouraged and required to establish local processing facilities to retain more value in Nigeria, create jobs and strengthen local supply chains.
He commended NAEG for making technical training an integral part of its annual conference, noting that practical training would bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and industry requirements while helping young and experienced professionals acquire modern skills.
Earlier, the President of NAEG, Akin GEORGE, said the association had continued to promote professional development through training in geophysical data acquisition, processing and interpretation, with this year’s programme introducing artificial intelligence into the interpretation of exploration geophysical data.
GEORGE said the association would continue to engage government and other professional bodies on national issues, particularly the application of geophysics to mineral exploration, environmental management and infrastructure development.
He also called for a national conservation policy for strategic mineral resources, warning that Nigeria could lose valuable deposits if minerals were extracted and exported without adequate consideration for future generations and the country’s long-term industrial needs.
GEORGE urged the government to identify and conserve certain strategic and high-grade mineral deposits, including selected deposits of lithium, chromite and other critical minerals, arguing that some resources could become scarce and expensive to import in the future.
The NAEG President commended the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Mining Cadastre Office for promoting local value addition, saying the establishment of mineral processing plants across the country would create employment opportunities and strengthen the economy.
In a related development, the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Prof. Shehu Ahmed, represented by manager research and innovation, Mr. Wasiru Ahmaed said PTDF would continue to support NAEG’s efforts to build indigenous capacity through training, research, knowledge transfer and mentorship.
Also speaking, the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Prof. Musa Sada, commended NAEG for sustaining professional collaboration, stressing that continuous knowledge sharing was necessary because technology and professional practice were constantly evolving.
The President of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, Rose Chundung Ndong, and the President of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Dele Ayanleke, also pledged stronger collaboration among professional bodies, while the NGSA urged NAEG to support efforts to ensure that exploration data, samples, drill logs and reports are properly archived for research and national development.
The conference also featured tributes to the Chairman of the NAEG Board of Trustees, Professor Deborah Ajakaiye, recognised for her pioneering contributions to geophysics and the training of generations of Nigerian geoscientists, while participants were urged to leverage modern technology, including artificial intelligence, to strengthen Nigeria’s mineral exploration and geoscience sector.
