Nigeria and Murdoch University, Western Australia, are set to advance plans for the third phase of the Nigeria–Australia Resource Industry Collaboration and Capacity Building Programme.
The programme is aimed at strengthening knowledge transfer and professional capacity in the country’s mining sector.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Ms. Lara Owoeye-Wise.
According to the statement, the proposed third phase will place greater emphasis on practical industry exposure, longer job-shadowing or internship opportunities, live industry case studies and training designed to equip Nigerian mining professionals with the skills to identify, develop and present commercially viable mining opportunities.
The programme, which has trained two cohorts of 11 Nigerian officials each since June 2025, will expand its third phase to focus more on industry immersion and practical knowledge transfer.
The development followed discussions between a Nigerian delegation led by the Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office, Mr. Obadiah Nkom, who represented the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, and the management of Murdoch University.
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The programme, which has trained two cohorts of 11 Nigerian officials each since June 2025, will expand its third phase to focus more on industry immersion and practical.
Nkom met with the Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, Professor Dee O’Connor, and other university representatives on the sidelines of the Africa Down Under (ADU) 2026 conference.
He said knowledge transfer remained central to Nigeria’s mining reform agenda, stressing that sustainable transformation of the sector would depend on building the human capacity required to absorb, apply and eventually advance global best practices.
“Minister Dele Alake’s vision is not simply to attract capital and technology into Nigeria, but to ensure that Nigerians acquire the knowledge and expertise to deploy, manage and ultimately advance those capabilities themselves.
“This partnership with Murdoch University is therefore a critical investment in the people who will drive the next generation of Nigeria’s mining industry,” Nkom said.
He said the proposed third cohort would introduce stronger industry immersion, internships or job-shadowing opportunities, live industry case studies and practical training aimed at enabling participants to develop investor-ready mining opportunities.
Globally Competitive Resources
Professor O’Connor reaffirmed Murdoch University’s commitment to the partnership, saying the institution remained ready to support Nigeria’s ambition to build a responsible, technically capable and globally competitive resources sector.
“We are very pleased to continue this partnership with Nigeria. Our commitment is to deepen the exchange of knowledge and experience between our institutions and to ensure that the programme continues to respond to the real needs of Nigeria’s mining sector and its people,” she said.
The partnership forms part of the Ministry’s broader objective of building a knowledge-driven mining sector capable of attracting investment, promoting responsible resource development, strengthening local expertise and driving value addition.
The collaboration also provides a platform for sustained institutional cooperation between Nigeria and Australian universities, regulators, industry players and research institutions, with the aim of translating international expertise into lasting Nigerian capacity.
The proposed third phase is expected to equip a new generation of Nigerian mining professionals to contribute directly to exploration, project development, investment promotion, environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance and downstream value addition.
