Nigeria risks future mineral imports, geophysicists warn

This concern was raised at the 4th Annual International Conference and Training Workshop of the Nigerian Association of Exploration Geophysicists in Abuja. While the Federal Government, through the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, is focused on attracting investment and strengthening geoscientific data to transform the mining sector, the geophysicists argue for a national conservation policy. Akin George, President of NAEG, emphasized that minerals are finite resources and called for careful consideration of which deposits should be mined immediately, developed for domestic industrial use, or preserved as strategic reserves for future generations.

He specifically mentioned high-grade deposits of lithium, chromite, uranium, platinum, and bauxite. The Minister, represented by Hadiza Godi of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, highlighted geophysics as a critical tool for discovering Nigeria’s underground wealth and supporting sustainable national development, noting efforts to expand geological mapping and identify critical transition minerals like lithium, graphite, and copper.