Mining: FG Begins Graduate Training Scheme To Close Skills Gap

The federal government has commenced a graduate skills development programme aimed at bridging the technical capacity gap in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and preparing young professionals for employment and entrepreneurship in the mining industry.

The maiden Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) Post-NYSC Graduate Skill Capacity-Building Programme is designed to equip young graduates with practical competencies required for mineral exploration, geological investigations and other specialised mining operations.

Speaking at the induction of the beneficiaries in Abuja, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, said Nigeria’s mineral potential could only translate into national prosperity when supported by competent professionals, reliable geological information, responsible investment and modern technology.

Alake, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, described the initiative as more than a training exercise, saying it was “an investment in the people who will shape the future of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector”.

He commended the NGSA director-general Professor Olusegun Omoniyi Ige and NGDA management for initiating the programme, describing it as an important intervention in developing the human capacity needed to drive the sector.

The minister urged the beneficiaries to regard the training as “a bridge between academic knowledge and professional practice”, advising them to approach it with discipline, curiosity and a willingness to learn.

He identified geological mapping, mineral exploration and evaluation, geophysical and geochemical investigations, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), laboratory analysis, digital technologies, data management and environmental sustainability as critical areas requiring practical competence.

Alake cautioned the graduates against seeing the programme merely as an opportunity to obtain another certificate, describing it instead as “the beginning of a professional journey”.

He noted that the mining value chain offered opportunities beyond conventional employment, particularly in geological data services, mineral testing, exploration support, mineral processing, environmental consultancy and mining technology.

“You can become not only professionals, but also innovators and employers of labour,” he told the participants.

The minister urged the pioneer beneficiaries to distinguish themselves through excellence, commitment and measurable contributions, noting that their performance would help determine the programme’s future.

He also encouraged the NGSA to sustain the initiative through partnerships with universities, research institutions, professional bodies and private-sector operators to expand practical exposure and create employment opportunities.

Alake described the NGSA as the country’s foremost geoscience training and information institution, noting that its work was critical to mineral exploration, investment decisions and policy formulation.

“The future of our sector depends on the quality of people we develop today,” Alake said, urging the graduates to translate their training into innovation, productivity and responsible resource development.

NGSA: Over 500 Graduates Applied

In his remark, the NGSA director-general, Prof Olusegun Ige, disclosed that more than 500 graduates applied for the programme, but the agency could only accommodate a limited number because of resource constraints.

Ige urged the selected beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity, noting that practical exposure to geological equipment and field techniques was often limited during undergraduate studies.

The professor of geology recalled the difficulties students faced in accessing even basic geological equipment for practical training during his school days.

He therefore advised the participants to pay close attention to the resource persons and strengthen their technical capabilities to prepare themselves for professional responsibilities in mining and geosciences.

According, the training will be mostly practical-intensive and would last a month.

Expand number of trainees – Ex-DG NGSA Nwegbe

A former NGSA director-general, Alex Nduibuisi Nwegbe, described the initiative as timely, noting that inadequate practical facilities in some universities had created a gap between academic training and industry requirements.

He urged the agency to increase the number of beneficiaries in subsequent editions.

Similarly, the director-general of the Mining Cadastre Office, Simon Nkom, who was represented by his senior Special Assistant (Technical), Dauda Habila, commended the initiative and called for its extension to mining engineering graduates, noting that competent geoscientists and mining engineers play important roles in mineral title administration.

The representative of the Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Nathaniel Goki also expressed support for the programme and called for sustained collaboration between the university and NGSA, particularly in geoscience research and access to seismic monitoring data.

Yakubu Nana, who spoke on behalf of the trainees, thanked the agency for the opportunity, pledging that the graduates would apply themselves fully to the training and use the practical knowledge acquired to contribute to the development of Nigeria’s solid.

She commended the transparency of the selection. process, saying she and others made online applications and were chosen without knowing anyone in the agency.