In order to tap into the economic potential of the solid minerals sub-sector and expedite the beneficial development of the nation’s solid minerals, Senator Diket Plang, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Employment and Productivity, has put forth the proposal for the prompt establishment of a comprehensive University of Mining and Geo-Science within the country.
Senator Plang, representing Plateau Central in the National Assembly, highlighted that the solution lies in examining the existing Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geo-Science located in Jos, Plateau State. By identifying the necessary legislative actions required to upgrade the institution and ensuring the provision of essential infrastructure, the institute can be elevated to a standard that enables the delivery of high-quality services.
He revealed that a bill intended for the establishment of such a University has already been introduced in the Senate, having successfully passed through its first reading. The bill is now awaiting the second reading and subsequent public hearing. Senator Plang urged all stakeholders to rally behind this proposal for the University’s creation, recognizing its potential to enhance and advance the fields of mining and geoscience.
During his visit to the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geo-Science in Jos, Senator Plang expressed his impressions: “The Director-General of the institute has personally guided me around; after observing the existing facilities and resources, I am convinced that with the infrastructure and equipment already in place, the institute is well poised for a smooth transition into a University of Mining.”
“If established, the University will serve as a vehicle for rapid transformation of the Nigerian economy, while its products should be able to provide technical services in all aspects of mining engineering and its allied courses. The choice of Jos is not misplaced in view of the abundance of solid minerals in Plateau State.
“As a sponsor of the bill, I am here because of the capacity of the institute and also because of what the institute can offer Nigeria and Nigerians. I am interested in Nigeria and doing deep research in the area of minerals and geosciences. I felt that a great country like Nigeria is endowed with the mineral resources to deepen and upgrade the Institute of Mining into a university where mineral exploration will be maximized.
“I have initiated a bill to repeal the Act establishing the Institute of Mining to enable us to explore the possibility of upgrading it to a University of Mining. The content here is high, and most Nigerians may not know that there is enough manpower to galvanize it and run it effectively whenever it is upgraded to the status of a University.”
Earlier, the Director-General of the Institute, Professor Suleiman Hassan, said the institute has 23 standard pieces of equipment, adding that these and other facilities, including the structure at its permanent location, will be enough to move the institute to the level of a University.
He stated, “Though not 100 per cent, we are building on what we need to take off, and we have standard international equipment for analysis and identification of minerals. We also have space for us to take off. We are being patronized by Universities in this country in terms of training. A University is not built in a day; it starts gradually. By the time the government establishes this; the one that will be competing with us will be that of Takwa in Ghana.”
