Nigeria Produced 43.5 Million Tonnes Solid Minerals in 2016

• Nigeria Produced 43.5 Million Tonnes Solid Minerals in 2016

The States disaggregated mining and quarrying data for 2016 reflected that Nigeria produced exactly 43,495,423.12 tonnes of solid minerals in 2016. The report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which produces data help make informed decisions by governments and corporate, at the weekend, revealed that Ogun State produced the highest tonnes of minerals among the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FTC).

Solid Minerals are precious metals, various stones and industrial minerals such as petroleum, salt, gold, diamond, coal, limestone, granite, barytes, gypsum, kaolin, marble and a host of many others. With Nigeria’s vast mineral deposits, experts believe are suitable alternative to oil and gas, and have the capacity to earn huge revenues much more than petroleum if properly harnessed.

According to the Bureau, Ogun State produced about 16.4 million tonnes of minerals representing 37.65 per cent of the total volume produced last year.Kogi and Cross River states followed with about 12.74million tones and 2million tonnes or about 29.29 per cent and 6.89 per cent respectively of the total minerals produced. Borno and Yobe states, both from the North Eastern Zone, produced the least volumes with 1,250 and 883.08 tonnes respectively.

The NBS report identified Limestone as “the most produced solid minerals in 2016 with 28,204,522.91 tonnes of limestone produced representing about 64.84% of the total tonnes of minerals produced. Granite and laterite followed closely with 5,846,368.08 and 2,160,737.61 tonnes produced representing 13.44 per cent and 4.97 per cent of the total tonnes of minerals produced in 2016. However, Aquamarine and Beryl Ore are the least produced solid minerals in 2016.”

It listed potential mineral resources in Abia State to include glass sand, limestone, salt, shale, ball clay, galena, granite, marble, laterite, bentonite, phosphate, kaolin, pyrite, feldspar, petroleum, lignite, gypsum, sphalerite, clay.

The report disclosed that Adamawa State produced a total of 61,055.02 tonnes of solid minerals in 2016, and identified the potential solid minerals in the State to include granite, clay, gypsum, limestone, uranium, kaolin, coal, trona, barite, salt, marble, magnesite, laterite.

It said that Bauch has the potential for Kaolin, trona, gypsum, cassiterite, mica, clay, tantalite, galena, iron ore, gemstone, sphalerites, silica sand, barite, columbite, zinc, lead, muscovite, quartz, tin, glass sand, salt, monazite, feldspar, graphite, wolfram, coal, agate, tantalum, rutile, tungsten, copper, talc, ilmenite, zircon.

The data agency concluded that Nigeria can also benefit from bentonite, crude salt, petroleum, limestone, glass sand,Gemstone, barites, feldspar, marble, mica, silica sand, quartz, galena, lead, zinc ore, silica sand, clay, coal, gypsum, kaolin, anhydrite, calcium, sulphate, and brick clay. Others are crushed and dimension stone, fluorspar, wolframite, bauxite, shale, magnetite, ilmenite and brenite, all of which are available in Benue State.