Kaduna State Government, through the Kaduna Mining Development Company, (KMDC), has announced the discovery of a vast deposit of multi-metallic minerals – including gold, lithium, copper, and nickel – in Gidan-Waya, Jema’a local government area.
According to KMDC, the find includes an inferred resource of 33 million tonnes (MT) of gold and 187MT of nickel ore bodies. The discovery was made by Kian Smith, for the KMDC and Anka Metals joint venture, during exploration for tin in the pegmatite belt of the region. The exploration also revealed 97MT of enriched ore bodies containing tantalum, niobium, tin, and tungsten.
Following the significant find, KMDC announced the establishment of the JEMAA Resource Project, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) created to develop the newly discovered asset. A technical steering committee has also been set up to oversee drilling and resource confirmation activities.
The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) will lead the technical steering committee, given its statutory role in providing geological data for Nigeria. Other members include Geocardinal Engineering Services Limited and Fundamental Integrated Site Appraisal Services Limited (FISAS) – two of Nigeria’s leading geological firms.
The NGSA has welcomed the transparent approach adopted by the Kaduna State Government and KMDC, noting that the collaboration will promote independent resource verification and strengthen investor confidence in Nigeria’s mining sector.
The agency added that the development would enrich national geo-science data and support the country’s economic growth through sustainable exploitation of its mineral resources.
