In order to achieve the desired growth of the Nigerian solid mineral sector, the Federal Government has commissioned a state-of-the-art Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) Laboratory of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA).
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Henry Dele Alake who commissioned the Laboratory at the Headquarters of the Agency, in Abuja, on Tuesday, said the laboratory was established in response to “very clear recommendations on some of the gaps that were needed to be filled in order for the sector to achieve the desired growth and development.”
According to him, the recommendations, which are contained in the roadmap for growth and development of the sector, include “the establishment of a standard analytical laboratory(s) that will improve investor confidence, provide easy and affordable access to analytical services for junior miners and reduce huge capital flights on analyses.”
The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Mary Ogbe, stated: “The gaps include but not limited to provision of credible geosciences data to enable investors develop projects, intensify their exploratory activities and assist the junior mining companies become large scale entrepreneurs.”
He said the roadmap recommended strengthening of institutions and information infrastructure for easy and online dissemination of information, provision of necessary tools, equipment and logistics to the departments and agencies to enable them execute their empowerment, supervisory and regulatory functions effectively.
It also called for formalization of artisanal miners into cooperatives for better practices of responsible mining in the country and creation of policies and activities that will create value addition on Nigeria’s mineral wealth and mineral processing for the creation of jobs along the mineral value chain.
“These and many other gaps were identified as factors militating against the steady growth of the mineral sector about a decade ago. In order to meet up with all the challenges mentioned above, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development carefully and consciously implemented series of activities and programs in the areas of geoscience data generation, mines inspection, ASM regulation/control, capacity building programs, needs assessment and functional reviews, in addition to very robust investment promotion activities.”
He said recently, the Ministry acquired high resolution airborne aeromagnetic/vector spatial topographic data and targeted oriented geochemical data within selected sheets in Nigeria. While saying that the ministry has established and maintained an electronic cadastre system and a national geodata Centre at MCO and NGSA respectively, he added that the ministry has also established and maintained an electronic Mineral Resources Decision Support System (NMRDSS) with ability to create scenarios for carrying out an online analysis on mineral deposit and the available infrastructure around the deposit.
“The Ministry has established a formidable mine Marshals to assist in mines inspection and practice of legal and responsible mining in the country. The ministry has established an electronic remote monitoring system to help identify, regulate and control the activities of artisanal miners in the country. All these facilities and data are readily and freely accessible via web sites of the ministry and the responsible agencies, (MCO, NGSA etc).”
The minister, who was elated at the commissioning, described the laboratory as “a very critical facility,” noting that an ICP-MS instrument is a type of analytical device used to measure the elemental composition of a sample by ionizing the elements within it using a high-temperature plasma, typically generated by argon gas.
Alake stated: “ICP-MS instrument has the ability to identify and quantify elements in a sample with high sensitivity and can detect and measure trace elements at very low concentrations in liquid samples across various fields.”
Addressing guests, he said: “I stand before you here feeling delighted to commission such a highly needed analytical laboratory, the first of its kind in the country. I am also convinced that, the investment community, both international and local as well as our university researchers in the mineral sector will find this laboratory useful and timely.”
He said other users and beneficiaries of the laboratory such as those in the material science field, environmental monitoring, clinical research, food analysis, forensic experts as well as the ministry of Defense will also find this lab very helpful in carrying out their various activities.”
“In this regard, I wish to call on all of you stakeholders here to take full advantage of the ICP-MS lab by bringing samples for analysis.”
He hinted that the ministry has an ambitious plan to begin the process of comparison of results of the NGSA ICP-MS lab with that of other internationally accredited labs, which upon satisfaction will commence the full process of having the ICP-MS and other Laboratories of NGSA Accredited and Certified.
In his address, Director General, Nigerian Geological Survey Agency NGSA, Professor Olusegun Omoniyi Ige welcomed the minister, the Permanent Secretary, investors, representatives of professional bodies, policy makers and staff to the event while expressing gratitude to the Minister and the Permanent Secretary for their support.
“We commend and appreciate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the reinvigorated and renewed efforts for economic diversification through the development of the solid minerals sector by pursuing a policy that is anchored on shared and sustainable mining prosperity,” he said.
The Director General agreed with the minister that “the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has articulated a roadmap to address some of the identified challenges of the minerals and metal sector including lack of reliable laboratories in the sector.”
“These initiatives and strategies are designed largely to address the critical challenges, including improving the quality and breadth of geo-scientific data gathered in a cost-efficient manner that will adequately drive investment and economic growth.”
Ige, a Professor of Geology and Mineral Science, stated: “The current intervention will greatly enhance the efforts of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) in the areas of laboratory analyses by providing critical services in the sector that help with exploration, production, and environmental monitoring,” adding that the Triple Quadrupole Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (TQ-ICP-MS) acquired for NGSA is a high-performance analytical equipment that utilizes triple quadrupole technology for ultra-trace quantification of elements in a variety of challenging matrices.”
Commenting on the strength of the ICP-MS equipment, the Director General said: “The ICP-MS equipment can detect element concentrations as low as parts per billion (ppb) where 1 ppb is equivalent to 0.001 ppm,” stating that it is expected that with this state-of-the-art equipment now fully installed and working, this will offer the country huge savings in foreign exchange from the analysis of minerals and rock materials locally.”
He said traditionally, the NGSA has been engaged in geological data acquisition and resource assessment to map out features of the earth’s surface, and offer guidance for natural resource management, noting that the commissioning of the ICP-MS laboratory encapsulates critical aspects of the mission of the Agency to become the ultimate referral point for geosciences information.”
The commissioning ceremony attracted dignitaries including Professors Omar Abdulrahaman, C. S. Nwajide and Olugbenga Okunlola who joined the event online.
Others include Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development; President, Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Prof. Akinade Olatunji; Director General, Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office, Engr. O. S. Nkom; Director General, Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences, Prof. S. B. Hassan; Director General, National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), Mr. Kola Ogunbiyi; Registrar/CEO, Council of Nigeria Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), Prof. Opafusno Zacheus who was represented by Mr. Jude Egwe; and Amb. Amina Ajayi.
More pictures at the commissioning;
