Olusegun Ige, the director-general of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, has urged mining companies to disclose mineral discoveries to attract investment.
Mr Ige made the call on Tuesday at the 11th Nigeria Mining Week in Abuja, stressing the importance of geological information in supporting exploration. He said information held by mining and exploration companies could complement agency data and give investors a clearer picture of Nigeria’s mineral resources.
Mr Ige said improved access to geological information would help investors assess opportunities and support commercially viable mining projects.
Dele Ayankale, the national president of the Miners Association of Nigeria, described Nigeria Mining Week as a platform for innovation and technology transfer.
MAN organises the event with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
Mr Ayankale said the annual event had facilitated business linkages and investment deals involving local and international investors. He said the 11th edition targeted partnerships to drive growth in Nigeria’s critical minerals sector.
According to him, the focus on partnerships was timely amid rising global demand for minerals used in the energy transition.
“Small-scale title holders and indigenous operators are educated on global best practice and local operating standards at the mining week,” he said.
Mr Ayankale said the event had shaped the sector’s development through sustained industry discussions over the past decade.
“Over the past ten years, Nigeria Mining Week has led the conversations that have shaped the growth of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector,” he said.
He said the theme reflected MAN’s conviction that partnerships were crucial to repositioning the mining sector.
Meanwhile, Nere Emiko, CEO of ANKA Metals, identified technology and innovation as crucial to unlocking Nigeria’s mineral wealth.
Ms Emiko called for advanced exploration techniques, stronger partnerships and improved security measures to promote sustainable mining development. She said Nigeria’s mining industry had evolved, with increased local participation in exploration services and growing interest in energy-transition minerals.
According to Ms Emiko, rising global demand for critical minerals offers Nigeria opportunities to expand exploration and develop commercially viable projects. She said the country could also strengthen its position in the global mineral value chain.
Ms Emiko urged stakeholders to abandon isolated approaches and collaborate on large-scale projects that can stimulate industrialisation and economic growth.
“What Nigeria needs to do is: We need to stop working in our silos and let’s come together to build these big projects. The deposits are there. They’re huge,” she said.
Ms Emiko advocated developing mineral corridors around major deposits to maximise the value of Nigeria’s mineral resources. She explained that coordinated investment in exploration, infrastructure, processing and related industries could support the development of these corridors.
Ms Emiko also stressed the importance of security arrangements to protect mining sites, workers and investments. She said technology could improve surveillance and strengthen responses to threats, while collaboration could boost investor confidence.
According to her, partnerships with government institutions, research organisations and security providers were essential to creating an enabling environment for responsible mineral development.
(NAN)