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***Mining Cadastre seeks expansion to mining engineers
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, on Monday, urged the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) to equip young graduates with practical skills and professional competencies needed to drive the development of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
The minister said that the country’s vast mineral resources could only translate into national prosperity when supported by competent professionals, reliable geological information, responsible investment and modern technology.
Alake disclosed this in Abuja, at the induction of the maiden NGSA Post-NYSC Graduate Skills Capacity-Building Programme,
The minister commended the NGSA Director-General, Prof. Olusegun Omoniyi Ige, and the agency’s management for introducing the programme, describing it as an investment in the people expected to shape the future of the mining industry.
Alake who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said Nigeria’s deposits of gold, lithium, iron ore, barite, limestone, lead-zinc and bitumen offered significant opportunities for economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation and increased revenue.
According to him, the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the ministry’s Seven-Point Agenda, is committed to building a mining sector that attracts credible investment, promotes local value addition and contributes meaningfully to national development.
Alake urged the selected graduates to take advantage of the training to develop practical competencies in geological mapping, mineral exploration and evaluation, geophysical and geochemical investigations, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, laboratory analysis, digital technologies, data management and environmental sustainability.
He said: “Do not see this training merely as an opportunity to earn another certificate. See it as the beginning of a professional journey. Beyond conventional employment, the mining value chain offers opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation in geological data services, mineral testing, exploration support, mineral processing, environmental consultancy and mining technology.
“You can become not only professionals, but also innovators and employers of labour. As pioneers of this maiden cohort, your conduct and performance will help determine the programme’s future. I urge you to distinguish yourselves through excellence, commitment and measurable contributions, and to serve as worthy ambassadors of the NGSA and our country.
“I also encourage the Agency to sustain the initiative and build partnerships with universities, research institutions, professional bodies and private-sector operators to expand practical exposure and pathways into employment.”
Speaking earlier, Ige said the maiden programme was designed to address the longstanding gap between theoretical geological education and practical industry experience.
He recalled that, as a university student, he had limited exposure to geological fieldwork before reaching his final year, noting that many graduates still lacked experience in using basic geological equipment and instruments.
He said the agency received close to 500 applications for the programme but conducted a rigorous selection process to identify suitable candidates and ensure representation across the six geopolitical zones.
Ige urged participants to maximise the experience of the facilitators, most of whom have between 30 and 35 years of field experience, and actively engage in the practical sessions.
He stressed that the programme was not merely about obtaining certificates but about building confidence, developing technical competence and preparing graduates to contribute to mineral exploration, evaluation, development and value addition.
The NGSA boss disclosed that the agency’s facilitators, who are staff members, volunteered their time and expertise without financial compensation to make the initiative possible.
He also recalled other capacity-development initiatives introduced by the agency, including its newsletter and the recognition of outstanding university projects.
According to him, three outstanding university projects were selected for awards in March last year, with one of the beneficiaries subsequently offered an internship at the agency, where he has spent more than six months gaining additional professional experience.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom, represented by his Senior Assistant, Engr. Dauda Dingan Habila, commended the NGSA for the initiative.
Habila said the training would strengthen the technical capacity of graduates whose expertise was relevant to the administration of mineral titles.
He explained that applicants seeking mineral titles, particularly exploration licences, are required to submit technical reports prepared by geoscientists.
He added that mining laws require reports supporting mineral titles and other mining-related activities to be signed by competent, professionally registered geoscientists or mining engineers.
Habila appealed to the ministry and the NGSA to expand the programme to accommodate mining engineering graduates, including those undergoing the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Yakubu Nana expressed appreciation to the minister, the Permanent Secretary and the NGSA leadership for the opportunity to improve their professional skills.
He pledged that the participants would apply the knowledge gained beyond obtaining certificates, particularly in promoting innovation and the development of Nigeria’s solid minerals and energy sectors.
Nana said the participants were committed to making the most of the training and ensuring that the agency and other stakeholders involved in the initiative would be proud of their contributions.
