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Unlocking Nigeria’s Geological Wealth for National Development
By Zakariyah Issa Bolakale
I am an enthusiast of writing and public speaking with a keen interest in earth science. Driven by my fascination with geology and my lack of experience in craft, I sought mentorship from Alhaji Yushau Shuaib. He referred me to a member of his team, Lawal Dahiru Mamman, who challenged me to write after sharing valuable writing tips and insights. This piece is the product of that enlightening exchange.
To understand the value of geology to Nigeria, one must first appreciate what geology does. In simple terms, geology is the science that studies the Earthranging from what it is made of, how it was formed, how it changes, and what valuable materials are hidden inside it.
In Nigeria, that knowledge matters for almost everything: the gold and lithium we mine, the oil and gas that powers our budget, the water we drink, and even the roads, bridges and buildings we use daily.
Nigeria is built on three broad types of rocks. The first is what geologists call the Basement Complex. These are very old, hard crystalline rocks that form the foundation of the country, mostly found in the south-west, north-central and parts of the north-west. Think of them as Nigeria’s ancient concrete slab, formed more than 500 million years ago.
The second are the Younger Granites. These are younger igneous rocks formed from cooled magma, found mainly around Jos and other parts of north-central Nigeria. They appear as beautiful hills and ring-shaped mountains and are rich in tin, columbite and other minerals.
The third are the Sedimentary Basins. These are areas where layers of sand, clay and organic materials have piled up over millions of years. They include the Niger Delta Basin, Anambra Basin, Benue Trough, Chad Basin, Sokoto Basin, Bida Basin and Dahomey Basin. Because they trap and preserve organic matter, they are where oil, gas, coal and limestone are found.
Each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory has at least one mineral of commercial value. Gold, iron ore, cassiterite which is tin ore, columbite, lithium, limestone and marble occur across these rock units. Oil and gas occur prolifically in the Niger Delta, but similar potential exists in the Anambra Basin, Benue Trough, Chad Basin and others.
But geology goes far beyond minerals and oil. It is what keeps our buildings standing. Before any major road or building is constructed, geologists carry out what is called a geotechnical survey or soil test. It tells engineers how strong the soil is, whether it will sink, expand or collapse. When this step is skipped, we see building collapse and roads that fail after one rainy season.
Hydrogeology, which is the branch of geology that helps locate underground water, is crucial in many parts of northern Nigeria where surface water is scarce and this science determines where a borehole will succeed.
Environmental geology helps us understand and manage natural hazards such as flooding, erosion and landslides. In agriculture, certain rocks contain phosphate used for fertiliser, while volcanic rocks like basalt release nutrients that make soils more fertile when they break down.
There are even less obvious uses. Palynology, which is the study of pollen and spores preserved in soil, can help security agencies link a suspect to a particular location. Medical geology studies how elements in rocks and soil affect human health. And geotourism turns geological sites like Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Aso Rock in Abuja, Ikogosi Warm Spring in Ekiti and Mount Patti in Lokoja into tourist attractions and jobs.
Despite this huge endowment, an estimated 70 per cent of Nigerians still live below the poverty line. In the oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta, poverty, violent clashes, kidnapping and extortion persist. This is what experts call the resource curse, a term that emerged in the late 1980s to explain how countries rich in natural resources can remain poor when governance is weak.
The theory, now adopted by institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, is visible in Nigeria where political elites and vested interests manipulate state institutions through corruption, weakening the impact of government policies. The question, therefore, is not whether Nigeria has resources, but whether it has the geological knowledge and governance to turn them into roads that last, buildings that stand and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that grows.
To unlock this wealth, Nigeria must first make soil tests compulsory. Government should enact and enforce a “No Soil Report, No Permit” rule across all states, compelling builders to budget for geotechnical investigations with strict inspection and sanctions for non-compliance. This single step will reduce building collapse, road failure and avoidable deaths.
Second, key agencies must be strengthened. The Nigeria Geological Survey Agency needs field crews, laboratories and digital mapping tools, with at least 0.1 per cent of GDP allocated to it as part of mining and infrastructure spending.
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria must also insist on certified geotechnical engineers for major projects.
Third, the country needs a central geoscience database. A National Geoscience Information Centre should be built to store maps, borehole records, soil tests and hazard maps in one place. Modelled after the open-data system of the United States Geological Survey, this portal should provide basic data at low or no cost to engineers and investors.
Fourth, we must train more geoscientists. The NGSA should partner with universities to offer specialised courses in engineering geology, with scholarships for advanced studies focused on infrastructure.
Fifth, public-private partnerships should be encouraged. Road-building consortia can be allowed to fund advanced surveys such as Ground Penetrating Radar, which is a technology that uses radar pulses to image what is beneath the ground, and seismic studies in exchange for data rights. Data from mining and energy firms can also support public infrastructure planning.
Sixth, government should fund demonstration projects that showcase the value of geology. A fast-track geological survey for a key highway or a dam, for instance, would prove time and cost savings and build political will.
Seventh, building standards must be updated to reflect Nigerian soil conditions. In areas with expansive clay, which are soils that swell when wet and shrink when dry, specific foundation designs should be made mandatory. Flood-zone regulations should also be updated using NGSA flood maps.
Finally, compliance should be linked to incentives. Supporting the creation of a National Geohazards Monitoring Centre to track earth tremors, land sinking and heavy rainfall will help. Buildings that have undergone proper soil testing could attract lower insurance premiums, thereby making the value of geology tangible.
Nigeria cannot build a trillion-dollar economy on guesswork. Every kilometre of road, every high-rise, every litre of water and every ounce of gold depends on what lies beneath our feet. If we get the geology right, the economy will stand on solid ground.
Zakariyah Issa Bolakale is an NYSC corps member. He can be reached at: [email protected]
