*L-R:Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office Engr. Obadiah Nkom and Professor Dee O’Connor, Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
Nigeria is advancing plans to expand its partnership with Murdoch University in Western Australia to strengthen professional skills and knowledge transfer in the solid minerals sector. The move follows strategic discussions held on the sidelines of the Africa Down Under (ADU) 2026 conference.
A Nigerian delegation, representing Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake and led by Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office Engr. Obadiah Nkom, met with university officials, including Professor Dee O’Connor, Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Talks centred on consolidating gains from the existing Nigeria–Australia Resource Industry Collaboration and Capacity Building Programme and shaping a stronger third phase.
The programme, a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and Murdoch University, has already trained two cohorts of 11 Nigerian officials each since its launch in June 2025. It combines technical, policy and leadership training with field visits, industry engagements, job shadowing, workshops and exposure to Australia’s resources governance and mining ecosystem.
Officials said the third phase will place greater emphasis on practical industry exposure and hands-on learning. Plans include longer job-shadowing or internship opportunities, live industry case studies, and training designed to equip participants with the skills to identify, develop and present commercially viable mining opportunities.
The expanded approach aims to move beyond conventional classroom instruction toward deeper industry immersion.
In remarks reflecting the minister’s priorities, Engr. Nkom stressed that attracting investment and technology must go hand in hand with building Nigerian capacity to manage and grow these opportunities.
“Minister Dele Alake’s vision is not simply to attract capital and technology into Nigeria, but to ensure that Nigerians acquire the knowledge and expertise to deploy, manage and ultimately advance those capabilities themselves,” he said. “This partnership with Murdoch University is therefore a critical investment in the people who will drive the next generation of Nigeria’s mining industry.”
The engagement at ADU 2026 reinforced Nigeria’s commitment to developing the knowledge and skills needed to strengthen its mining sector. Officials emphasised that a stronger mining industry ultimately depends on the people who will drive it, and that investing in human capacity remains central to the government’s broader reform agenda.
The collaboration forms part of efforts to build a knowledge-driven mining sector capable of attracting responsible investment, promoting sustainable resource development, strengthening local expertise and supporting value addition.
It also provides a platform for ongoing institutional cooperation between Nigerian authorities and Australian universities, regulators, industry players and research institutions.
