Nigeria
NIGERIA NORTH WEST AREAS
Main Licence Areas
In 2006 the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development commenced reforming the country’s mineral resources industry. It passed a new mining act and revived competition in its minerals industry.
Approximately 4,101km2 of granted tenements (46 ELs) and applications awaiting grant (18 ELAs) acquired by Nigeria Gold Pty Ltd (‘NGL”) through its 100% owned subsidiary Mines Geotechniques Ltd (“MGL”) are in the north-west part of the country, and mainly located along regional scale schist belts within the Basement Complex.
The tenement list includes numerous tenements under application with artisanal gold workings, and within these areas grass roots exploration has begun with mapping of the surface workings and geology with hand held GPSs, and then cross-referencing this mapping with aeromagnetic images so as to identify gross structural controls over mineralisation as a prelude to follow-up soil sampling and trench sampling.
Work programmes completed by Nigeria Gold in March 2011.
Nigeria Gold engaged the services of a consulting geologist with international exploration experience, who during 2010 and March 2011 conducted field visits to Nigeria to assess the tenements.
Tenement applications were reviewed and found to be progressing through the Cadastre office which regulates the granting of mineral concessions in Nigeria. There are five key areas which are still awaiting final grant, which AUZ considers as high priority. More detailed follow-up work conducted in four of these areas located in the Anka region of north-west Nigeria was conducted in November 2010 and March 2011.
The company’s licences cover four main areas, namely Anka Maru in the northern part of the country, Minna-Birnin Gwari north of the capital Abuja, Yauri to the west, and Tsauni, which is closer to Abuja.