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The former Edo State Commissioner for Mining, Enaholo Ojiefoh, has said that Nigeria’s mining sector lacks reliable data, which hampers effective planning, regulation, and the optimal utilisation of the country’s mineral resources.
Speaking on News Central TV’s programme, Breakfast Central, on Tuesday, Ojiefoh described Nigeria’s mining intelligence reports as unreliable, arguing that the absence of accurate geological data has undermined efforts to develop the sector.
“As Nigerians, we don’t have accurate data for anything we are doing about the mining sector,” he said.
“That means the mining intelligence reports we have are just false, 100 percent false.”
Ojiefoh said the data currently available are fragmented and largely sourced from state governments, mining companies and non-governmental organisations rather than from a coordinated national geological mapping programme.
“The state governments put some money to see how they can get some data. The federal government are waiting for mining companies to send their data. Some of the NGOs, maybe when they go there, they do some early data assessment and put on a document for everybody to see,” he said.
“But when we talk about actual data about the mining sector, you can spend three years trying to work only on one mineral.”
Ojiefoh argued that most of the available information is based on theoretical estimates that do not accurately reflect the country’s mineral deposits.
“The data we have are just normal theoretical data. Most of these data are not actually matching with the minerals we have here,” he said.
He cited lithium mining in Nasarawa State as an example of the scale of mineral extraction taking place despite what he described as poor national data.
“If I tell you every day, over 60 to 70 trucks of lithium move out of Nasarawa to the port, we’re not talking about Kebbi, we’re not talking about Kwara, we’re not talking about Oyo, we’re not talking about Kogi. I’m just talking about one mineral,” he said.
He added that the same lithium-bearing geological formation extends beyond Nasarawa into neighbouring areas, emphasising what he believes is Nigeria’s untapped mining potential.
Despite the country’s mineral wealth, Ojiefoh said Nigeria is not prepared to build a globally competitive mining industry because it has failed to prioritise the expertise and data required for informed decision-making.
“We are not ready to develop our mining sector. Tell you the truth, we are not ready at all,” he said.
“Why? Because we don’t want to put the right people there. We don’t want to do proper work because you need data to run any analysis.”
He added that without reliable geological information, policymakers and investors would continue to face challenges in making informed decisions on exploration, investment and the sustainable development of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
