The Director General of the Nigerian Cadastre Office, Malam Mohammad Amate, revealed that four foreign companies would begin mining of gold and iron ore in Nigeria in the year 2014.
Mr. Amate made the disclosure in an interview in Abuja on January 19, 2014, Sunday.
An Australian firm Mines Geotechniques Nig. Ltd., UK company Northern Numero Resources Ltd. were granted licences to mine gold in Kebbi.
Segilola Nigeria Ltd. and KCM Mining Ltd., both from Australia, would mine gold in Osun and iron ore in Kogi, respectively.
Mr. Amate explained that the companies had completed exploration programmes in areas approved for them and they would commence actual mining this year.
He explained that KCM Mining Ltd., which started exploration activities about four years ago in Kogi, completed the exercise last year and had delineated about 500 million tonnes of iron ore.
Segilola Nigeria Ltd., also an Australian company, would operate in Osun, and had concluded exploration programmes and had delineated more than one million ounces of gold there.
The Director General said the four firms that would commence mining activities this year were among 20 foreign companies granted mining exploration licences by the Federal Government.
Aside from Australia, he said, other firms from Canada, UK, Italy, China, Niger, India, South Africa and Ukraine had indicated intention to mine mineral resources in Nigeria, noting that some of the firms were at various levels of exploration.
“We insist that any company that wants to pick up a licence must employ qualified Nigerians and the companies are complying,” Mr. Amate added.
He said Nigeria was the only country in Africa that had 100 % geological data generated through airborne geophysical survey, which was done through sustainable management of mineral resources programmes.
NAN
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