⬆️(3rd from right) Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, and (3rd from left) Director-General of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Prof. Olusegun Ige, pose for a group photograph with other stakeholders and post-NYSC graduates after declaring open the NGSA Post-NYSC Graduate Youth Knowledge Empowerment and Capacity-Building Programme in Abuja, Nigeria, on November 2, 2026.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has called on young graduates to convert geological knowledge into innovation, entrepreneurship and responsible resource development as the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) inaugurated its maiden Post-NYSC Graduate Skill Capacity-Building Programme.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, represented the Minister at the induction ceremony held on 2 November 2026. He described the programme as a strategic investment in the professionals who will shape the future of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
“This programme is more than a training exercise; it is an investment in the people who will shape the future of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector,” Alake said. He noted that the country’s mineral potential can only translate into national prosperity when supported by competent professionals, reliable geological information, responsible investment and modern technology.
The Minister highlighted Nigeria’s endowment in commercially important minerals such as gold, lithium, iron ore, barite, limestone, lead-zinc and bitumen. These resources, he said, present significant opportunities for economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation and increased revenue under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Ministry’s Seven-Point Agenda.
Addressing the pioneer cohort, Alake, through Engr. Yabo urged participants to approach the programme with discipline, curiosity and a strong willingness to learn. He advised them to focus on practical competencies in geological mapping, mineral exploration and evaluation, geophysical and geochemical investigations, remote sensing, GIS, laboratory analysis, digital technologies, data management and environmental sustainability.
“Do not see this training merely as an opportunity to earn another certificate. See it as the beginning of a professional journey,” he stated. Beyond conventional employment, he pointed out that the mining value chain offers avenues for entrepreneurship in geological data services, mineral testing, exploration support, mineral processing, environmental consultancy and mining technology.
As the first set of trainees, the Minister charged the participants to distinguish themselves through excellence and measurable contributions, serving as worthy ambassadors of the NGSA and the country. He also encouraged the Agency to sustain the initiative and forge partnerships with universities, research institutions, professional bodies and private-sector operators to expand practical exposure and employment pathways.
The Ministry, he assured, would continue to support initiatives that strengthen institutional capacity and equip young Nigerians with the skills needed to transform the solid minerals sector.
The Minister congratulated the NGSA management and the selected graduates on the historic launch, emphasising that the future of the sector depends on the quality of people developed today.
