Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan is currently preparing for the upcoming Conference of Heads of Government for the Commonwealth, an event that will take place in Australia in October, as he is expected to speak on the recent developments that have taken place in the country’s mining and metals industry.
But even before the president has made his comments, citizens and miners are already expressing their excitement over the ever-growing sector, which has seen unprecedented gains as the nation pushes forward in its attempt to become an international mining hub, All Africa reports.
The nation’s leading mining authorities have demonstrated a clear ability to expand Nigerian mining operations and create an attractive environment to international investors. Leading the way in these initiatives is the country’s commitment to developing new mining laboratories to analyze samples taken during new exploration activities.
One technological advancement is the construction of power plants that fuel copper mining activities. Copperbelt Energy, which distributes half of the energy in Zambia, recently made moves to purchase three Nigerian distribution assets in an effort to provide for the growing need for power in copper mines in Nigeria, according to Bloomberg.
But the enthusiasm surging through Nigeria’s mining sector is being felt most by those who will benefit from the newly purchased equipment that will be used at the National Geosciences Research Laboratories Centres (NGRL), in Kaduna, Kaduna State, according to All Africa.
Considering Nigeria’s history of performing mining activities at an elementary level, new equipment that can analyze samples is a major leap for the country. Until now, even major mining companies that have set up shop in the country’s borders have sent their samples away for testing, costing the country millions of dollars that could have been used domestically.
At a recent tour of the new center, Minister of Mines and Steel Development Musa Mohammed Sada noted that the nation’s lagging mining sector has previously been held down by a lack of cooperative regulation and a faulty and unreliable infrastructure. But now, that all has changed.
“We are drastically bringing about a revolution in the minerals industry, and [this] state-of-the-art equipment procured with the support of the World Bank goes to show our readiness to do what is needful to bring the mining sector to the position of relevance in the nation’s economy.” Sada said during the tour of the center.
Sada added that the new facility will become the nerve-center for mineral analysis and several other forms of research for the area.
In addition to new technology, the country has also stepped up its regulatory abilities, naming illegal activities and child labor as the most severe rogue operations taking place in the country.
According to Dredging Today, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Taofiq Tijani has announced that miners and dredging companies that operate within the country illegally will be arrested and prosecuted, urging that “registered miners in Badagry Zone come together and form an association so that it will be easy to identify illegal miners.”
Sada stated that more government involvement will lead to more licenses being issued. More than 10,000 licenses have already been issued by the Mining Cadastre Office, Sada said, adding that many more operations are expected to pick up soon. The goal of the laboratory will be to handle the demand that is soon expected.
“Our aim is to ensure that this laboratory becomes a center of excellence for the region, in that other countries within the region would come here for their analysis.,” Sada said. “We are also determined to do things differently using the private sector for the improvement of infrastructure required for the industry.”
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