From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development says it would soon commence airborne geophysical surveys in Ogun State, to determine accurate mineral locations in the state.

The Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist in the ministry, Dotun Ajibola, made this known during a sensitisation visit to the office of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Ogun State, Afolabi Afuape, on Thursday.

Ajibola, accompanied on the visit by the Federal Mines Officer (Ogun), Bunmi Ayelabola, and the Federal Artisinal and Small Scale Mining (ASM) Officer in charge of Oyo and Ogun states, Victor Ekpeyong, explained the visit was to intimate the state on the planned airborne survey.

He said the survey which is a World Bank Assisted Project, under the supervision of the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification (MINDIVER) of the ministry, had been scheduled to be carried out in 19 states and covering 112 local government areas, to accurately locate mineral deposits using modern-day aeromagnetic mechanism.

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Ajibola, who disclosed that the survey of the selected states in the southwest would commence from Kwara State on June 21, said Ijebu North and Ijebu East Local Government Areas had been earmarked for the survey in Ogun.

He urged the commissioner to collaborate with the ministry in sensitising the locals on the survey, adding residents should not panic when they sight aircraft flying at a low altitude in the selected areas.

According to him, the sensitisation had become necessary in the face of the current security situation in the country.

Responding, Afuape who noted that Nigeria needed economic diversification as a result of the dwindling oil revenue, pledged Ogun state government’s support for the survey.

He said efforts would be put in place by the state government to sensitise residents of the selected local government areas ahead of the commencement of the airborne survey.