From Ground Zero to Gold Standard: How SROL Built a World-Class Team in Nigeria’s Burgeoning Mining Sector

OluwaseunFagesi

In the world of industrial mining, human capital is often the most unpredictable resource. When Segilola Resources Operating Limited (SROL), Nigeria’s premier exploration and gold mining company, acquired its flagship project—the Segilola Gold Mine (Nigeria’s first industrial-scale gold mine) —there was no ready-made workforce waiting. The Nigerian mining industry, still in its infancy, lacked a critical mass of mining-specific trained personnel, frameworks, and even benchmarks.

Yet today, the Segilola Gold Project employs over 2125 people, 99 per cent of whom are Nigerian, including women operating heavy-duty mining equipment. How did a company operating in a mining talent-scarce environment build a resilient, skilled, and inclusive workforce from scratch? This is a story about intentionality in recognising that in new or underserved sectors, talent doesn’t come ready-made—you must grow it.

SROL’s due diligence before acquiring the Segilola Project painted a clear picture:

• There was no significant mining talent pool in Nigeria.
• Mining education and technical training were limited.
• Gender diversity in mining was almost nonexistent.

However, walking away wasn’t an option for SROL. Instead, the company adopted a resolute long-term perspective, understanding that the only way forward was to build the team that Nigeria’s mining future needed.

SROL’s strategy was centered on three key pillars:

1. Leverage Transferable Skills

Many Nigerians had experience in the oil and gas sector, which had matured over decades. SROL saw an opportunity to transition this workforce into mining roles—with the right training.

2. Create a Culture of Understudies

Every expatriate expert at the Segilola mine has a Nigerian understudy. This ensured immediate knowledge transfer and long-term continuity.

3. On-the-Job and External Training Programs

Over 5,870 training hours were delivered in 2024 alone. Youth internships and empowerment programs ensured that training reached both current staff and future pipeline candidates.
Unlike typical top-down recruitment models, SROL embedded cultural governance leaders from its host communities directly into the hiring process. community leaders were notified of vacancies as part of the recruitment committees and were encouraged to nominate qualified indigenes, especially youth and women. This led to over 576 competent host community members employed—positively exceeding the employment quotas stipulated in the Community Development Agreements (CDA).

This trust-first approach didn’t just meet employment quotas, it transformed local communities into active talent partners, not just passive beneficiaries, empowering them and fostering optimism for the future.

Mining has traditionally been male-dominated, but SROL knew that innovation couldn’t thrive in a homogenous workforce. A deliberate initiative saw women trained as dump truck drivers and eventually pit controllers. Several of them had backgrounds in teaching, catering, or nursing—with no prior exposure to mining.

Gender parity was not just a goal; it was a requirement built into shortlisting protocols: every interview shortlist had to include at least one female CV. These actions were not symbolic. They disrupted expectations, attracted untapped talent, and demonstrated that diversity and safety can coexist underground.

By 2024, the data spoke for itself:

• 1,934 employees, with 99% Nigerians and 27 % from host communities
• Four women transitioned into heavy equipment operator roles
• Zero industrial strikes or lockouts
• Two awards (one national and one international) recognising excellence in labour

Internally, a recognition program celebrates contractor excellence in fair labour practices, safety, and performance—embedding the right behaviors across the value chain.

With new exploration licenses and a long-term focus in Nigeria, SROL isn’t done building. It’s now scaling this human capital model across future projects. The model—grounded in training, inclusion, local governance, and strategic patience—is not mining-specific. It can be adapted for any emerging sector in Africa, from renewable energy to agritech.

Four ways to build teams where none exist.

• Leverage adjacent sectors: Look for transferable skills in related industries and close gaps with training.
• Build shadow teams: Pair every expert with a local understudy to embed knowledge from day one.
• Share ownership with communities: Involve local governance and cultural structures in hiring and workforce planning.
• Don’t fear inexperience—train for it: Hire for attitude and potential, then invest in upskilling.

Too often, companies entering nascent sectors search for ready-made solutions—trained people, firm policies, robust institutions. But the truth is, pioneers don’t inherit structure—they build it.

SROL’s journey shows that investing in people early—and inclusively—not only secures a license to operate but builds a legacy of local empowerment and business resilience. For any company entering an emerging or underserved industry, this isn’t just an HR strategy.

It’s your strategy!

.OluwaseunFagesi, MCIPM CPHR-Canada, is the HR Manager Segilola Resources Operating Limited

QUOTE

“With new exploration licenses and a long-term focus in Nigeria, SROL isn’t done building. It’s now scaling this human capital model across future projects. The model—grounded in training, inclusion, local governance, and strategic patience—is not mining-specific. It can be adapted for any emerging sector in Africa, from renewable energy to agritech.”