The Nigerian government is set to carryout airborne Geological Survey across 17 States to facilitate accurate location of mineral resources in the Country.
This was stated by the Director General National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency, Dr Umar Albarka Hassan, during a courtesy and sensitisation visit to the Governor Of Niger state in North central Nigeria.
He said the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification project, which is a world Bank assisted project under the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, will embark on AGS in 112 local government areas across Niger State and 17 other States in the country.
“The project would stimulate investment leading to increased economic activities in the respective states to be surveyed as desired by President Muhammadu Buhari,” added Dr Hassan
According to the DG, Steel Raw Materials and Explorations Agency, Dr Umar Hassan, an Aircraft equipped with state of the art devices will be used to measure minor variation in the earth’s magnetic fields and gamma radiations in the soil.
” The Aircraft will fly at 50 metres altitude and a line spacing of 100 meters adding that it is safe, as a passive technique that does not involve sending out any signals or sound waves into the ground would be deployed”.
Dr. Hassan further enjoined the public not to be misinformed or panic due to the constant activities of the aircraft in the areas of operations which is slated to commence from the 22nd of July and will probably last for two months.
“The local government areas to be surveyed in the State are Mokwa, Mashegu, Lavun, Gbako, Katcha, Edati, Bosso, Agaie and Lapai”.
He however requested Niger State government to direct and mobilize relevant Ministries, Local Government Chairmen and Traditional rulers of the areas to be surveyed for effective and efficient sensitization of the residents.
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello who applauded the initiative, assured the team that his government will do what ever it can to support the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to achieve its’ aim of carrying out Airborne Geophysical Survey (AGS) in the State.
The Governor who earlier called for the attention of the surveyors on some local governments in the state with solid minerals potentials that are not captured for the projects, such as Shiroro, Munya, Mariga, Rijau, Magama and Tafa , however directed his Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Sunday Kolo, to liaise with the sensitisation team on how to intimate appropriate authorities to ensure that the local governments left out are captured.
Hauwa Abu
