The Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office on Monday said six foreign mining companies and Dangote Group of Companies would commence mining of Gold, iron ore, coal, lead and zinc in 2015.
The Director-General of the Office, Mr. Mohammed Amate, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Amate said the companies were Kogi Mines Ltd, Segilola Nig. Ltd and Mines Geotechniques Nig. Ltd.
Others are Northern Numero Resources Ltd, West African Polaris In Ltd. and Tongyi Allied and Mineral Services Ltd.
He said Kogi Mines, an Australian Mining Company based in Kogi, had concluded exploration programmes, adding that it would commence mining of iron ore in Agbaja in the state this year.
Amate said the company had completed its four-year exploration and that it had delineated more than 500 million tonnes of iron ore.
He said Segilola Nig. Ltd would also begin mining of Gold in Iperindo area of the IIesha Schist belt of Osun State.
Amate said so far, the companies had also carried out the same exercise and delineated more than one million ounces of Gold in the area.
He said Mines Geotechniques Nig. Ltd and Northern Numero Resources Ltd, both Australian companies and would begin mining of Gold this year in Kebbi.
Amate said the federal government had last year signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the companies to commence mining in the country.
He disclosed that Dongote would conclude its coal exploration in 2015 and was expected to immediately commence mining of coal in Kogi and Benue States.
He said, Dangote had been working toward commencing coal mining in both states, adding that the company held mining titles covering limestone, coal and gypsum.
The director-general said the West African Polaris Investment Ltd, a Chinese company, would commence mining of tin and columbite in Nasarawa State.
He added that the Tongyi Allied and Mineral Services Ltd, another Chinese company, would begin mining of lead/zinc in Wasa, Plateau State.
Amate explained that the two companies would commence major mining operation in various locations in the two states as they have delineated their reserves.
He further said 169 Small Scale Mining Companies had already begun mining gemstone, Gold, lead/zinc, columbite/Tantalite among others across the country.
Amate advised the miners to carry out their operations legally, pay their fees promptly to the government as well as reclaim mines sites after activities as provided by the law.
He also warned miners not to discharge any harmful materials into any environment that could pose danger to lives.
“If you are discharging anything you make sure that you discharge safety. You make sure you check the acidic, PH value. Do not discharge anything harmful,’’ he stressed.
He said Nigeria had been losing a lot of money to illegal mining but the government had put in place measures to checkmate the challenge.
“A lot of gemstones are being smuggled and a lot of other minerals are being smuggled out of this country,’’ he said.
Source: Thisdaylive
