FG to Launch Made in Nigeria Barite, Mines Minister Receives NIMEP Project Reports

FG to Launch Made in Nigeria Barite, Mines Minister Receives NIMEP Project Reports

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The federal government will October 28 launch the made in Nigeria Barite which is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari led administration’s effort to diversify the nation economy through non-oil sector.

Government, through the ministry of Mines and Steel Development has also received the preliminary reports of the National Integrated Mineral Exploration Project, NIMEP.

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite while receiving the reports presented by the Director General, Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and a contractors of the Project, Dr Warwick Crowe, in Abuja, said that the refined Barite will be launch soon precisely October 28, 2021 “about two weeks time.”

Adegbite hinted that the federal government in 2018 initiated the National Integrated Mineral Exploration Project, NIMEP, to de-risk the mining sector and provide Geo- Sciences data.

He said that the project objective is to generate geosciences information in Greenfield and Brownfield settings through integrated exploration methodologies aimed at spurring the desired investment into the mining sector to generate foreign exchange, substitute for import, develop local industries, generate employment and create wealth along the mineral value chain.

He further added that the project was designed to take advantage of known metallogenic belts in the country for the exploration of gold, nickel, chromium, cobalt, rare earth minerals, lead-zinc, silver, copper, barite and ore resources.

According to him, “The move would promote local production and attract investors and the ministry would solicit more funding for exploration projects in other mineral resources.”
Similarly, the Director General, Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Engr. Abdulrazak Garba, while presenting the reports to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, listed some key outcomes as the project winds down to its final stage.

He noted that the project identified a gold trend and spanning about 7km long and 500m wide, with intersections of significant gold bearing veins (grades averaging 1-6g/t).
The project also identified silver and tungsten mineralisation with meter intersections yielding up to 16.6g/ and 1914gt/t respectively.
He explained that the project was working on the mining of various mineral deposits across the country.

One of the contractors of the Project, Dr Warwick Crowe, noted that the exploration technique being used was effective and would be used for the exploration of other minerals.
He added that the project has gone through five phases, which includes Desktop studies, spectral geology and processing and interpretation of existing airborne data in the first phase.

He said in phase two there are geological mapping, sampling pitting, trenching, sample preparation on completion, while in phase three are sample analysis from three media, ground geophysics survey and interpretation, acquisition and interpretation of ground.

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