Alake Urges OAU to Develop World-Class Mining Centre

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, has challenged Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, to establish a world-class mining centre that will harness the institution's academic and research resources for national economic development.

Speaking during a visit to the university, the Minister said Nigeria's solid minerals sector holds vast potential to drive diversification, job creation and foreign exchange earnings, but requires strong collaboration with universities to build capacity and drive innovation.

He noted that OAU, with its history of academic excellence, research infrastructure and location in a mineral-rich region, is well positioned to lead the establishment of a mining centre of excellence that can train professionals, conduct research, and provide technical support to the industry.

The Minister called on the university management to leverage partnerships with government, private sector players and international institutions to develop the centre. According to him, such a facility would help bridge the skills gap in the mining sector, promote research in mineral exploration and processing, and support sustainable mining practices.

In his response, the Vice-Chancellor of OAU commended the Minister for the challenge and assured that the university would explore modalities for setting up the proposed centre. He added that OAU remains committed to contributing meaningfully to national development through research, innovation and human capital development.

The proposed world-class mining centre is expected to focus on areas such as geological mapping, mineral processing, environmental management, mining engineering, and policy development, in line with the Federal Government's agenda to reposition the solid minerals sector as a key pillar of the Nigerian economy.