By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Federal government is set to embark on an Airborne Geophysical Survey Activity in 19 States of the federation.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Olamilekan Adegbite said this in Akure, Ondo state capital during the Flag off exercise of the Sensitisation Programme in the South West.
The Minister who spoke through the Project Coordinator of Mindiver (World Bank) Project, Engr. Sallim Salaam, said the exercise will cover 112 local government areas across the country, saying it is to determine accurate mineral locations using modern day contemporary aeromagnetic mechanism.
Adegbite listed the states to be covered by the survey to include: Kwara, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Ebonyi. Others are Enugu, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Bauchi and the FCT.
According to him the information like this became necessary because of the current security situation in the country so that people do not get misinformed and entertain unnecessary fears that may lead to tension in the society.
He pointed out that the survey would be carried out through the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification (MINDIVER) Project, a World Bank assisted Project under the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
Adegbite explained that the survey areas were chosen based on the outcome of the previous survey guided by geological consideration.