The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has begun a strategic collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) aimed at strengthening the capacity of customs officers to identify mineral resources in their raw forms and curb the smuggling of Nigeria’s mineral wealth out of the country.
The initiative followed a training tour by senior officers of the NCS to the headquarters of the NGSA in Abuja on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, under the theme, “Identification of Mineral Resources.”
The training, held at the NGSA Museum, exposed the customs officers to practical knowledge on the identification of various mineral resources, including gemstones and critical minerals, which could enhance their ability to detect and intercept illegally transported minerals at the nation’s borders.
Addressing the visiting officers, the director-general of the NGSA, Prof. Olusegun Ige, described the visit as a step in the right direction, stressing that the Customs Service occupies a strategic position in protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources because of its responsibility at the borders and other points through which minerals could be taken out of the country.
Ige said regular engagement between the NCS and NGSA would significantly strengthen the government’s efforts to combat the smuggling of minerals in their raw forms.
He urged the Customs officers to make the training a periodic exercise, noting that Nigeria is endowed with more than 44 mineral types and that improved knowledge of their physical characteristics would enable officers to distinguish and properly identify mineral resources encountered in the course of their duties.
According to him, better mineral identification at the borders would not only help to prevent the illegal export of Nigeria’s mineral wealth but also support the Federal Government’s drive to promote local processing and value addition in the mining sector.
He explained that preventing the indiscriminate export of raw minerals would encourage more minerals to be processed within the country, thereby creating jobs, stimulating investment and generating greater wealth for Nigerians.
The NGSA Director-General pledged the agency’s continued technical support to the NCS, assuring the officers that the Geological Survey Agency would remain available to provide the necessary expertise and assistance whenever required.
The visiting Customs officers were taken on a guided tour of the NGSA Museum by senior management staff, including the Director of the Nigerian Geological Information Centre (NGIC), Dr Julius Kwache, who provided explanations on various mineral specimens and their identifying characteristics.
The officers received practical orientation on the identification of mineral resources, with particular attention to gemstones, critical minerals and other commercially valuable resources that could be targeted by smugglers.
The visit was led by the President of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Ms Rose Ndong, and accompanied by a former President of the society, Prof Akinade Olatunji.
The engagement underscores the growing importance of inter-agency cooperation in protecting Nigeria’s mineral endowment and ensuring that the country derives maximum economic value from its natural resources.
By equipping Customs officers with the technical capacity to recognise minerals in their raw state, the initiative could provide an important first line of defence against mineral smuggling while supporting the government’s broader agenda of retaining mineral value within Nigeria through local processing and industrial development.
