Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals, has proposed a N200 billion budget allocation for a big data exploration project, despite the existence of such infrastructure. This initiative, part of his 7-point agenda, aims to attract foreign investors to Nigeria’s solid mineral sector, which had not been previously mentioned.
There is skepticism regarding the Minister’s advocacy for this substantial budget for mining data gathering, particularly when Nigeria already has an established geodata infrastructure. In May 2023, global consulting firm KPMG released a report titled “FG Launches the National Geodata Centre,” which highlighted the capabilities of the existing infrastructure.
According to the report, the National Geodata Center (NGC) was recently unveiled at the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), with an extension at the National Steel Raw Material Exploration Agency (NSRMEA). The facility enhances online access to reliable and up-to-date geological reports and data on mineral reserves and deposits in Nigeria.
The KPMG report commends the initiative, describing the NGC as an “electronic geodata bank” designed to improve investment decisions, research, and the ease of doing business in the mining sector. This center is seen as a significant step in making the sector more attractive to both foreign and local investors, driving economic diversification, and fostering a globally competitive mining industry.
The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency’s homepage also indicates that they have already released research reports, further questioning the necessity of the proposed budget for additional data gathering.
