AUST ESTABLISHES CENTRE ON SOLID MINERAL EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The African University of Science and Technology(AUST), Abuja has established the African Center for Mineral Exploration and Development in its bid to help countries in sub-Saharan Africa to utilize their enormous solid mineral endowments to tackle the myriad of socio-economic challenges confronting the region.

The Acting President of the University, Professor Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, FAS disclosed this while briefing the university community and other stakeholders on the activities that AUST planned to implement in 2023 across different Schools, Departments, and Centers.

He enumerated the focal areas of the Center to include mineral exploration; research; training/capacity building; projects (grants, etc); policy; exports; value addition; technology development; and consultancy.

He explained that the University will leverage its networks at national, regional and international levels to ensure seamless realization of the mandate and goals of the Centre. While submitting that the world class research and teaching laboratory of AUST which was funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) will satisfactorily meet the scientific, technical, and engineering needs of the Center, he called on all stakeholders to give the Center all the support and cooperation that it needed.

Led by Dr Morgan Leo Akpan, a resident faculty in the department of petroleum and energy resources engineering AUST, in the capacity of Center Leader/Director,  the Center is supported by a team of technical advisers which include: Professor Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, FAS, Acting President, AUST;  Dr Abdulhakeem Bello, Director, Academic Planning (DAP), AUST; Dr Vitalis Anye, Head, Department of Material Science and Engineering, AUST; Dr Manasseh Tukura, Retired Director, Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA); Professor Hycienth Aboh, National President, Nigerian Institute of Physics (NIP); and Dr Godwin Alo, NGSA.