An Extensive Analysis of Mining in Nigeria Using a GIS

The Nigerian mineral sector is undergoing radical structural reforms to allow for maximal exploitation, in view of its potential in diversifying the national economy. As part of the reforms, mineral titles and permits are granted by a new mining cadastre system. This article examines the spatial distribution of the licences granted so far using the geographic information system (GIS). A simple spatial and attribute query was used to select all types of licences based on their locations. The country appears to be virgin territory with exploration in brown and greenfields extensively dominating mining by activity. This paper contends, however, that widespread mineral exploration has certain policy implications that, when put in place at this stage of mining project development, are likely to mitigate the problems associated with the extractive economy.