The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has established a working relationship with an international mining investment company, Silicon Valley Nigeria Economic Developments Limited as part of policy efforts to open new vistas for investments in the country’s solid minerals sector.
A statement from the Agency, signed by the Director, National Geosciences Information Centre (NGIC) of the NGSA, Mrs. Grace Okpala, said the Agency is statutorily responsible for mineral exploration for the purpose of generating geosciences data on solid minerals in Nigeria.
Director-General of the NGSA, Dr. Abdulrazaq Garba who presented a recent publication of the Agency on minerals in Nigeria to the Management of Silicon Valley Nigeria Economic Developments Limited, recently, in Abuja, said the over one hundred year old mineral exploration Agency is willing to avail the company with mineral datasets and its publications on minerals in Nigeria.
Dr. Okpala quoted the Director General as saying that NGSA is committed to investment promotion by availing investors with its very resourceful publications including 45 Bulletins, 31 Occasional Papers, 18 Records and Books, adding that investors are encouraged to take advantage of the investment opportunities availed by the country’s solid minerals sector.
While saying that the NGSA recently launched the Solid Minerals Map of Nigeria and also the first-ever Lithostructural Map of Nigeria, he noted that the maps have been immensely useful to investors at home and abroad. The Director General therefore encouraged the visiting investors to take advantage of the resources embodied by the books and maps.
Dr. Garba also thanked the team for their interest in the sector. According to him, the NGSA has made consistent efforts to encourage local and foreign investors to invest in the sector, adding that the Agency finds fulfillment in presenting geosciences information to investors.
“The essence of our efforts as an agency is to be able to present detailed and reliable information on minerals in Nigeria to investors like you,” he said, adding that the NGSA recently convened Mineral Clinics in each of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria in order to take advocacy for investment to the doorstep of Nigerians living in rural and urban areas.
Earlier, Chairman, Silicon Valley Nigeria Economic Developments Limited, HRH, Amb Amina Temitope Ajayi said her organization is of the view that the NGSA can play a critical role in supporting the successful implementation of of the Federal Government’s partnership with foreign investors and Nigerian mining industry operators.
She explained that provision of comprehensive geological data and maps to support exploration and development activities will enable informed investment decisions, adding that geological surveys will help to identify potential mineral deposits and assess the viability of mining projects.
While calling for collaboration with the NGSA in the area of Technical Expertise, Amb Temitope Ajayi encouraged the NGSA to continue to provide technical expertise and advice on geological aspects of mining projects, as well as ensure sound exploration and extraction practices in the country.
In line with its mandate, the NGSA continues to conduct mineral exploration to identify new mineral deposits as part of generating geoscience data, improve the understanding of the country’s geological resources while also carrying out laboratory analysis of solid minerals.
