Nigeria: Workers Task FG On Mineral Exploration Funding

What the report says

The Nigerian Union of Mine Workers has welcomed the SMDF-EMERGE funding programme, which is meant to support private-sector mineral exploration projects and research in tertiary institutions. The remarks were made in Abuja by the union’s national president, Hamza Muhammad, at a media event tied to Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, according to Daily Trust via AllAfrica.

Muhammad said mineral exploration funding remains a major weakness in Nigeria’s mining sector and argued that grants under the programme could help address that gap. He also thanked the federal government for efforts aimed at strengthening mining and suggested that improved access to financing could help companies expand, create jobs, and improve pay and working conditions for mine workers.

The union leader referred to an earlier government-backed intervention fund linked to the Bank of Industry, saying it had not reached miners because many could not meet the required conditions. He therefore asked that NUMW be included in the next round of beneficiaries and said the union wants to build a national database of mine workers.

More broadly, the development reflects a long-running challenge in Nigeria’s mining industry: exploration is capital-intensive, and smaller operators often struggle to secure funding. The article does not say when SMDF-EMERGE grants will be paid out or how large the programme is.