The Federal Government has disclosed plans to embark on Airborne Geophysical Survey (AGS) AGS in 112 local government areas across Niger and 17 other states in the country.

This was disclosed by the AGS Sensitization Team Leader in the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Umar Albarka Hassan when he paid a visit to the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello in Government House, Minna.

According to Hassan, the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification project is a World Bank assisted project under the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development adding that the survey is aimed at acquiring more details on geology and mineral potentials of the selected local government areas.

He said that the exercise would facilitate the accurate location of mineral resources which would stimulate investment leading to increased economic activities in the respective states to be surveyed as desired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Sensitization Team Leader said that for the survey, an aircraft equipped with state of the art devices will be used to measure minor variations in the earth’s magnetic fields and gamma radiations in the soil.

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“The aircraft will fly at 50 metres altitude and a line spacing of 100 meters adding that it is safe, as a passive technique that does not involve sending out any signals or sound waves into the ground would be deployed. The survey will commence on the 22nd of July, 2021 and will last for about two months when it gets to Niger State.”

Hassan explained that the Team had to inform the government because of the security challenges bedeviling the state urging the state government to sensitize the people not to panic or misconstrue the mission of the aircraft when the survey begins.

In his response, Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello assured that his government will do its best to give support to the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to achieve its aim of carrying out Airborne Geophysical Survey (AGS) in the State.

The Governor described the innovation as great while applauding the ministry for taking such innovative steps that will create opportunities for investors to invest in the sector.

Bello, however, noted that other local government areas in the state like Shiroro, Munya, Mariga, Rijau, Magama and Tafa which are also not viable were not captured, urging the Ministry to include the councils in the areas to be captured.

The local government areas to be surveyed in Niger State are Mokwa, Mashegu, Lavun, Gbako, Katcha, Edati, Bosso, Agaie and Lapai.