The Federal Government has urged the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, NGSA, to expand its graduate skills training programme to equip more young Nigerians with practical knowledge required in the solid minerals industry.
The minister of Soid Minerial Development, Dr. Dele Alake made the call at the inauguration of the maiden Post-NYSC Graduate Youth Knowledge Empowerment and Capacity-Building Programme in Abuja.
Represnted by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, the minister said the initiative would help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge acquired in universities and the practical skills required by the mining industry.
He noted that Nigeria’s deposits of gold, lithium, iron ore, barite and limestone offer opportunities for economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation and increased revenue.
Dr. Alake urged 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 encouraged the graduates to explore business opportunities in mineral testing, exploration support services, mineral processing, environmental consultancy and mining technology rather than depend solely on conventional employment.
The Minister called on NGSA to collaborate with universities, research institutions, professional bodies and private sector operators to increase the programme’s reach and create more employment opportunities for young graduates.
Earlier, the Director-General of NGSA, Professor Olusegun Ige, said the programme was designed to equip young geoscience graduates with industry-driven skills and improve their professional competence and employability.
Ige states that the agency received nearly 500 applications but selected a limited number because of resource constraints, ensuring representation across the six geopolitical zones.
He explained that the programme was conceived to address the shortage of practical exposure experienced by geology graduates during their university education, adding that experienced NGSA professionals would serve as facilitators.
The Director-General also highlighted the agency’s previous capacity-building efforts, including the recognition of outstanding university research projects, one of whose award recipients was subsequently engaged as an intern by the agency.
In his remarks, a former NGSA Director-General, Alex Nduibisi, described the initiative as timely, noting that inadequate practical facilities in some universities had created a gap between academic training and industry requirements.
He urged the agency to increase the number of beneficiaries in subsequent editions.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office, Simon Nkom, represnted by his senior Special Assistant on Technical, Mr. Dauda Dinga commended the initiative and called for its extension to mining engineering graduates, noting that competent geoscientists and mining engineers play important roles in mineral title administration.
The representative of the Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Nathaniel Goki also expressed support for the programme and 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, appreciated the agency for the opportunity, pledging that the graduates would apply themselves fully to the training and use the practical knowledge acquired to contribute to the development of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
