By Atoyebi Nike
The Kaduna State Government and the Kaduna Mining Development Company (KMDC) have announced the discovery of extensive multi-metallic deposits, including gold, lithium, copper and nickel, in Gidan Waya, Jemaa Local Government Area of the state.
According to KMDC, exploration in the pegmatite region revealed inferred resources of 33 million tonnes (MT) of gold and 187 MT of nickel ore bodies, alongside 97 MT of enriched tantalum and niobium ore with associated tin and tungsten.
The discovery followed a two-year exploration programme by Kian Smith (kiansmith.com) and Anka Metals (ankametals.africa) under a joint venture with KMDC.
In response, the state has created the Jema’a Resource Project, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to oversee the asset’s development. A technical steering committee led by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has also been constituted to supervise drilling and resource confirmation.
NGSA described the discovery particularly the nickel find as a development of “national and geological interest” and commended the transparent approach adopted by the state and the project partners, which it said would boost investor confidence and strengthen geoscience data for national economic development.
Other members of the committee include Geocardinal Engineering Services Limited and Fundamental Integrated Site Appraisal Services Limited (FISAS).
