Nigeria, US commence strategic talks next week on solid minerals development

Pursuant to the Federal Government’s plan to develop the solid minerals sector, the United States Geological Survey and its Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, will next week commence strategic engagements towards a suitable technical partnership between the two countries in the area of solid minerals development.

James Enstwistle, US ambassador to Nigeria, made the disclosure Thursday in Abuja at a meeting with Kayode Fayemi, the Nigerian minister of solid minerals development, and Abubakar Bwari, minister of state for solid minerals development.

Enstwistle explained that the two geological survey agencies would work on data collection, with a view to determining the exact quality and quantity of Nigeria’s mineral deposits.

“The US Geological Survey next week will partner with the Nigerian sister 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,” said Enstwistle.

In his response, Fayemi pointed out some of the issues confronting the Nigerian mining sector to include the quality of data available for estimating the actual size of what the country had and how the country could use bankable data for commercially engaging potentials investors, and viably so.

He hailed the US government’s readiness to partner Nigeria, while also saying that the country was partnering institutions such as the World Bank and other governments with vast experience in mining in order to achieve its aspiration in the diversification of the economy through the solid minerals sector.

The Federal Government, according to the minister, had approached the US to assist the country in this area, considering the wealth of experience of the US Geological Survey in that field.

He said that the experience of the American institution will help Nigeria to improve on what it has in terms of its huge minerals deposit.

The minister also stated that Nigeria is focusing on how to improve on industrial minerals beyond exporting raw materials.

“Another area of cooperation will be in the improvement of monitoring” he said, adding that “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.”