Solid Minerals: Nigerian Government to flag off airborne survey in 17 States

The Nigerian government has planned to carry out Airborne Geophysical Survey (AGS) across 17 States to facilitate the accurate location of mineral resources in the country.

The Director-General, National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency, Dr Umar Albarka Hassan, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani.

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.“

According to him, an aircraft equipped with state-of-the-art devices will be used to measure minor variations 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 the 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.

Governor Sani Bello who applauded the initiative by the Government of President Muhammad Buhari assured the Director-General that his government would do whatever it could to support the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to achieve the aim of carrying out the 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 that as Shiroro, Munya, Mariga, Rijau, Magama and Tafa , however, directed his Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Sunday Kolo, to liaise with the sensitization team on how to intimate appropriate authorities to ensure that the local governments left out are captured.

PIAK