Leadership (Abuja)
Kingsley Alu
27 November 2009
Abuja — The second phase of the $12 million Airborne Geological Survey Digital Data(AGSDD), has been completed by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), following which foreign mining firms are now besieging the office of the NGSA in Abuja and its regional offices to purchase the new information.
ASDD is the mapping of the types and distribution of Nigerian solid minerals. Until now,prospecting miners had to rely on obsolete information to prospect and mine for minerals.
In March 2008, the first phase of the project was completed, which revealed new mineral findings in Ogun State. 24 states were covered with more than 826,000 - line kilometres covered by the contractor, Fugro. The minerals discovered are: polymetalic and phosphate minerals in Ifo and Ijebu North local government areas of the state.
A source in the Ministry of Mines and Steel told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that, "The new mineral map has many surprises for investors. In places where we thought we had certain mineral, the new digital information shows that they don't occur as such. And in some places unknown for certain minerals, we have established their presence there.
"With the new mineral maps, a mining act in place and a mining policy and regulation, we will soon go into a mining renaissance.
"You are aware that about 800 mining titles have been freed last month from investors who showed no interest in mining rather than speculating.
"These leases and licences are now for grabs. Serious investors can now assess these maps and apply for the specific mineral titles they want, and they are sure that they would find what they want.
"By our own estimate, mining would create hundreds of thousands of jobs before 2015 at the rate we are going.
"Fugro had to acquire and process approximately 1,000,000 line kilometres of fixed wing airborne magnetic and radiometric data over Nigerian part of the Chad basin, central Nigeria, Adamawa & Cross River basins, as well as Sokoto & Niger Delta basins," he said.
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