By Palma Ileye
Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to developing technical manpower for Nigeria’s solid minerals sector through a graduate skills capacity-building programme organised by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA).
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, stated this on Monday at the induction of the maiden NGSA-Post-NYSC Graduate Skill Capacity-Building Programme.
Alake described the initiative as an investment in the human resources needed to harness Nigeria’s mineral wealth, stressing that the country’s mineral potential could only translate into national prosperity through competent professionals, reliable geological information, responsible investment and modern technology.
He commended the Director-General and management of the NGSA for introducing the programme, while congratulating the selected graduates on their participation in the maiden cohort.
According to the Minister, Nigeria possesses commercially important mineral resources, including gold, lithium, iron ore, barite, limestone, lead-zinc and bitumen, which offer opportunities for economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation and increased government revenue.
He said the Ministry, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its Seven-Point Agenda, was committed to building a solid minerals sector capable of attracting credible investments, promoting local value addition and contributing significantly to national development.
The Solid Minerals Minister urged the participants to use the programme to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and professional practice, advising them to take advantage of the training to acquire practical skills in geological mapping, mineral exploration and evaluation, geophysical and geochemical investigations, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), laboratory analysis and digital technologies.
He also emphasised the importance of data management and environmental sustainability in ensuring responsible mineral development.
Alake cautioned the graduates against viewing the programme merely as an opportunity to obtain another certificate, urging them instead to see it as the beginning of a professional career in the mining industry.
He noted that opportunities within the sector extended beyond conventional employment to entrepreneurship and innovation in geological data services, mineral testing, exploration support, mineral processing, environmental consultancy and mining technology.
According to him, the participants could become not only skilled professionals but also innovators and employers of labour capable of creating jobs and contributing to economic growth.
The Minister further charged the graduates, as pioneers of the maiden cohort, to distinguish themselves through excellence, discipline, commitment and measurable contributions, noting that their performance would help determine the programme’s future.
He also encouraged the NGSA to sustain the initiative and strengthen partnerships with universities, research institutions, professional bodies and private-sector operators to expand practical training opportunities and improve graduates’ access to employment.
Alake assured that the supervising Ministry would continue to support initiatives aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and equipping young Nigerians with the skills required to transform the solid minerals sector.
He said the future of the industry depended largely on the quality of professionals being developed, urging the graduates to translate the knowledge acquired into innovation, productivity and responsible resource development.
