By Lawal Amina Abiodun (SIWES student D S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic)
Nigeria and Germany have come together to collaborate on solid minerals exploration. During a visit to Abuja by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Nigeria Solid Minerals Development Fund and GeoScan GmbH of Berlin, Germany, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance solid mineral development.
The MoU was officially signed by Oliver Haeggberg, CEO of GeoScan GmbH, and Fatima Shinkafi, Executive Secretary and CEO of SMDF, representing Nigeria. Haeggberg was part of the business delegation accompanying the German Chancellor during his official visit to Nigeria, where he engaged with President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian delegation at the Business to Government roundtable meeting.
Following the signing of the MoU, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, shared the details with State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
Alake stressed that this collaboration would foster the advancement of solid minerals exploration, exploitation, and the responsible management of revenue for the federal government.
Alake also highlighted Nigeria’s vast untapped mineral resources, accounting for just 0.02% of the global mining budget, despite an estimated $700 billion worth of solid mineral deposits.
With the support of GeoScan GmbH, championed by both the German Chancellor and President, this partnership aims to establish technology and facilities in Nigeria, facilitating the exploration of various mineral deposits across the country.
Importantly, Nigeria does not have any financial obligations in this collaborative effort.
