KEY POINTS
- Alake says skills gaps are holding back Nigeria’s mining sector.
- A new NGSA training program for geology graduates drew nearly 500 applicants.
- The minister urged graduates to build businesses, not just seek office jobs.
Nigeria must invest more in practical skills for young professionals if its mining sector is to reach its full economic potential, Solid Minerals Development Minister Dele Alake said Monday, according to The Nation.
Alake spoke through Permanent Secretary Faruk Yusuf Yabo at the launch of a new training program for geology graduates in Abuja. The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, or NGSA, organized the program with the ministry for graduates who have completed their national youth service.
Nigeria’s deposits of gold, lithium, iron ore, barite and limestone offer big opportunities for diversification, industrialization, jobs and revenue, the minister said. But he argued that turning that wealth into growth requires deliberate investment in people, closing the gap between classroom theory and real-world practice.
Alake wants mining sector training expanded
So he urged the agency to scale up the initiative. He also directed it to work more closely with universities, research institutions, professional bodies and private operators to equip more young geoscientists.
Alake told participants to master core skills such as geological mapping, mineral exploration, remote sensing, GIS and laboratory analysis. He also pushed them to think like entrepreneurs.
“Do not rely solely on conventional white-collar employment,” he said, pointing instead to openings in mineral testing, exploration support, processing, environmental consulting and mining technology.
Demand outstrips available places
Meanwhile, NGSA Director-General Olusegun Ige said the program aims to fill a shortage of hands-on experience that geology students face during their studies.
The agency received nearly 500 applications for the first edition, he said. However, limited resources meant it could select only a smaller group, with balanced representation from all six of Nigeria’s geopolitical zones. Senior NGSA staff will lead the training.
Former NGSA chief Alex Ndubuisi called the program a timely fix for equipment shortfalls in universities and urged a bigger intake next time. Dauda Dinga, speaking for the head of the Mining Cadastre Office, also called for it to cover mining engineering graduates.
Still, academia is on board. Nathaniel Goki, representing the vice chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, called for closer ties between universities and the NGSA on joint research and access to seismic monitoring data.
On behalf of the trainees, Nana Yakubu thanked the ministry and the agency and pledged that participants would make full use of the training.
