Yobe Govt Signs MoU with NGSA, Four Investors on Mineral Development
By Baba Dan’Iya
The Yobe Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and four investors to promote exploration and value addition in the mineral sector.
The investors — GeoScan Technology Ltd., Revolve Mining Company, Deep Strata, and Minepro and Energy — signed the agreement with the state government to drive sustainable mining and industrial growth in Yobe.
The Managing Director, Yobe Mining Development Company (YMDC), Engr. Bamodu Yerima, signed the MoUs on behalf of the state government at a Stakeholders’ Forum on Mining Development held at Government House, Damaturu.
Gov. Mai Mala Buni, while speaking shortly after the signing, said Yobe was richly endowed with mineral resources including limestone, gypsum, trona, diatomite, kaolin, phosphate, granite and silica, among others.
He said the state government had prioritised industrialisation and resource optimisation as strategic pillars for transforming its mineral endowments into viable enterprises.
Buni explained that the partnership with NGSA and investors was part of efforts to diversify the state’s economy, create jobs and attract credible investors to unlock the potential of its mineral resources.
“The time has come to turn these hidden potentials into productive assets that will create jobs, generate wealth, and advance the socio-economic development of Yobe State,” he said.
The governor added that proper management of the state’s mineral resources could make Yobe a major player in the solid minerals sector, enhance youth employment and improve its internally generated revenue.
In his remark, Yerima said the Yobe Mining Development Company was a fully structured institution prepared to engage investors, financiers, and technical partners both locally and internationally.
Also speaking, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GeoScan Technology Ltd., Mr Ulrich Eichhorn, said the company partnered with the Yobe Government to explore and develop the state’s solid mineral resources.
Eichhorn said the partnership aimed to promote sustainable exploration, efficient utilisation of mineral deposits, and judicious use of revenue derived from the sector.
