Zamfara Women Celebrate Shinkafi Over NSEG Fellowship

A women’s pressure group, Women for Women International, Zamfara State Chapter, has congratulated the Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), Hajia Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi, on her conferment with the Honorary Fellowship of the Nigerian Society of Economic Geologists (NSEG).

In a congratulatory statement, the group linked the recognition to Shinkafi’s role in initiatives to address funding and technical challenges in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

It cited the SMDF-EMERGE Initiative and the proposed $1.3 billion investment agreement involving the Federal Government and the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) for an alumina refinery and nationwide mineral exploration.

“We are women, and we are very proud of her,” the group said, adding that the SMDF had introduced several initiatives in 2026 under Shinkafi’s leadership.

The organisation described the SMDF-EMERGE Initiative as an intervention designed to address funding gaps across the mining value chain, including mineral exploration, research and development, capacity building and mining education.

It said the programme would provide support to private mining companies, geologists, researchers and academic institutions, with the aim of improving exploration activities and strengthening local technical capacity.

According to the group, the initiative also seeks to help indigenous mining companies acquire the equipment, technology and expertise needed to improve their operations.

It said that improved access to financing could enable local operators to mechanise their operations, increase productivity, and compete more effectively with international mining companies.

The group identified the proposed alumina refinery and nationwide mineral exploration under the reported $1.3 billion AFC-Federal Government deal as another development relevant to the sector’s financing and infrastructure needs.

It said the proposed refinery could support domestic mineral processing and reduce reliance on exporting unprocessed materials, while nationwide exploration could improve geological data to inform investment decisions.

However, the projects’ potential contribution to the industry will depend on their implementation, financing arrangements and capacity to deliver the proposed outcomes.

The organisation also said the SMDF had pursued partnerships with development finance institutions and other funding sources to expand its support for mineral exploration, research and indigenous mining enterprises.

It noted that access to long-term financing remained a major challenge for the sector because exploration requires substantial investment before commercially viable deposits can be established.

The group further highlighted the importance of research and collaboration between academic institutions and mining operators to develop local expertise and improve mining practices.

It said these efforts would be relevant to Zamfara State, where mining is an important economic activity, and stressed the need for greater participation by women in mining-related businesses, research and technical professions.

The group described Shinkafi’s fellowship as recognition of her contributions to the sector and expressed hope that efforts to address funding, exploration and capacity-building challenges would continue.

The NSEG fellowship comes amid efforts to expand investment, strengthen geological research and develop domestic processing capacity in Nigeria’s solid minerals industry.

The Nigerian Society of Economic Geologists (NSEG) elected Shinkafi into the society’s Class of Honorary Fellows for her contributions to Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and support for the geoscience profession.

Shinkafi was presented with the Fellowship Award on Monday during the opening ceremony of NSEG’s 5th Annual International Conference at Raffles Suites Hotel, Rabah Road, Kaduna.

According to NSEG, the award recognises her contributions to advancing the solid minerals sector and supporting the geoscience profession, whose expertise is critical to mineral discovery, resource assessment and sustainable mining development.

The honour followed a decision by the society’s council at its 80th meeting on 26 September 2026.

In a statement on Monday, the Head of the SMDF Corporate Communications Department, Idowu Jokpeyibo, said the recognition came as Nigeria sought to attract investment into mineral exploration and develop commercially viable mining projects, with access to early-stage financing remaining a major challenge for operators.

She said the SMDF, under Shinkafi’s leadership, had pursued initiatives to bridge funding gaps in exploration, research and development, and investment mobilisation.