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In order to effectively reclaim abandoned mining sites in Plateau State, the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has advised ImPPPact Nigeria Alliance to collaborate with state officials and relevant agencies on the initiation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) database project in the area.
The Minister gave the advice on Monday when Mr Olushola Ajayi, the Managing Director, ImPPPact Nigeria Alliance, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Expressing confidence in the project’s success, Dr. Alake, who was represented by Dr Ijeoma Idika, Director of Human Resources in the Ministry, urged the company to also consider technical advice from the Ministry apart from the collaboration with other stakeholders.
The Minister, in a statement by Kania Maliki Andeyaba, Deputy Director Press and Public Relations Department, also commended ImPPPact Nigeria Alliance as a key partner in the effort to reposition the mining sector.
In his remarks earlier, Mr Olushola Ajayi, informed the Minister about the initiation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) database project aimed at reclaiming abandoned mining sites in Plateau State.
The project, he said, was part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the ministry in 2023.
He also said that Plateau State was the first beneficiary of the reclamation initiative.
Stressing the importance of GIS data to provision of accurate spatial and environmental information necessary for effective planning and execution of reclamation efforts, Ajayi said that there was currently no available one in the area.
The data, he said, would assist in site identification, environmental assessment, and land-use planning.
“The project is in two phases. The first phase involves data collation for the GIS database of abandoned pits.
“This data will help us identify and characterise abandoned mining sites. Without a good understanding of their composition and condition, rehabilitation becomes very difficult,” he said.
He further disclosed that the project would involve professionals working with Intomatics, a Germany-based company specialising in geomatic services.
“The company is using satellite imagery techniques to gather data, which will be compared with on-the-ground realities in Plateau.
“A team of experts, government officials, and local communities will collaborate to ensure accurate data collection,” Ajayi stated.
He said that the collected information would be presented to the mining cadastre for future reference, towards attracting major investors to the sector.
“The second phase of the project will focus on reclaiming the abandoned mining sites and repurposing them for solar energy generation, establishing Plateau as a hub for renewable energy.”
The sites, he said, could later be considered for agriculture, tourism, or other economic activities based on their suitability.
The Director of Geospatial Data at Intomatics, Andreas Kuhnen, on his part, explained that the GIS data generated in Plateau State would be processed using artificial intelligence programmes.
He said that the programmes would extract specific information from the satellite images.
This, he said, would help create a stable workflow for the reclamation process.