Date: 2021-06-15

To determine the accurate deposits of mineral resources across the country, the Federal Government is set to embark on airborne geophysical survey in 19 states.

Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Olamilekan Adegbite, said this in Akure, Ondo State capital during the flag-off exercise of the sensitisation programme in the South-West.

The Minister, who spoke through the Project Coordinator of Mindiver (World Bank) Project, Engr. Sallim Salaam, said the exercise will cover 112 local government areas across the country, saying it is to determine accurate mineral locations using modern day contemporary aeromagnetic mechanism.

Adegbite listed the states to be covered by the survey to include Kwara, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Ebonyi. Others are Enugu, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Bauchi and the FCT.

He urged member of the public in the states not to panic because of loud noise of aircraft due to the low flying altitude or pattern of movement.

According to him, the information like this became necessary because of the current security situation in the country so that people do not get misinformed and entertain fears that may lead to tension.

The Minister pointed out that the survey would be carried out through the World Bank assisted Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification (MINDIVER) Project.

"The survey will be measuring minor variations in the earth’s magnetic fields and gamma radiations in the soil", Adegbite added.

He said that the survey of minerals in Nigeria is similar to the ones that took place in 2003 – 2007 and 2009 – 2011 and conducted in the entire country but remained largely unnoticed by most Nigerians.

"It is slated to start this June 2021 and will run through a period of about eight months but less than a month over a state, depending on weather conditions," the Minister said. Adegbite added that the airborne survey activity will kick off from the Ilorin Airport in Kwara State, and that the MinDiver Project is involved in the Airborne Magrad Survey to assist the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in implementing the road-map for the growth and development of the nation's mineral resources.