THE United States of America, USA, have pledged support for Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, NGSA, to generate concrete and reliable geosciences data, quality and quantity of solid mineral deposits across the country.
This was stated by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Enstwistle, during his visit to the Ministers of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Hon Abubakar Bwari, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Enstwistle also disclosed that the United States Geological Survey would set the process in motion with the NGSA from next week on strategic engagements aimed at working out suitable technical partnership.
The US envoy said it was imperative for both countries’ geological survey agencies to collaborate in a way of fast-tracking the development and harnessing the sector’s potential and to actualise the dream of diversification and huge revenue generation.
He said: “The US geological Survey next week will partner with the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency to begin to see what kind of technical cooperation that might be possible, particularly in the areas which involve figuring out exactly what Nigeria has on ground, what quality and we want to see what is possible in that regard.”
In his remarks, the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Fayemi, said US government’s readiness to partner with Nigeria was a welcomed development and good omen for the sector and economy.
He told the US envoy that similar partnerships by Nigeria with institutions like the World Bank and other governments with vast experience in mining will help achieve President Muhammadu Buhari’s aspiration to diversify the economy through the solid minerals sector.
The Minister further expressed optimism and maintained that the planned technical cooperation in geological data generation will add value to the solid minerals sector as some of the issues confronting the Nigerian mining sector like the quality of data available to determine the size of what the country has and how to use bankable data by potential investors.
He also explained that the experience and expertise of the US in mining operations via its Geological Survey Agency will assist Nigeria to determine the quality and quantity of the various minerals available. Adding that the American institution in the area of beneficiation will help Nigeria to improve on what it has in terms of its huge minerals deposit.
“Another area of cooperation will be in the improvement of monitoring. There is need for the regulatory authorities to have effective monitoring mechanisms to effectively monitor what is available and how they are being exported as revealed by the NEITI report,” he said.
