FG discovers coal in commercial quantity in Sokoto

Nigeria’s economy has received a major boost with the discovery of coal deposit in commercial quantity in Sokoto State.

Others minerals earlier discovered include phosphate for making fertilizer, gold, limestone, gypsum, iron ore, copper, columbite, tantalite, zinc, kaolin among others.

Speaking during a capacity building workshop on Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV)s for beneficial participation of state governments in mining, jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and the Sokoto Ministry of Solid Minerals and Natural Resources Development, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal  explained that the state government had engaged a Chinese company to make research on the available mineral resources, determine their locations and their commercial viability.

The governor said that the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN), otherwise known as Sokoto Cement and owned by the BUA Group, has started using the substance as a source of energy in operating its plant.

“BUA will use coal sourced from Sokoto to fuel the 40MW power plant being constructed at the factory. The new cement plant can use both coal and LPFO (Low Pour Fuel Oil), and will source its power needs from the power plant, with the excess generated power moved to the national grid,” BUA Founder, Abdussamad Rabiu also added.

He explained that the company had presented the first phase of its findings and identified 20 varieties of solid minerals.