…Urges citizens to remain calm
The Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (FMMSD) has revealed that the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification (MINDIVER) project, a World Bank-assisted venture under the Ministry of Mine and Steel Development will embark on an airborne geophysical survey activity in 19 states of the federation.
The activity which covers 112 local government areas in the designated states is to determine accurate mineral location using the modern-day aeromagnetic mechanism.
According to a circular passed by the ministry which was obtained by Science Nigeria, the states to be covered by the survey include Kwara, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Ebonyi, Enugu, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Bauchi and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite said the survey aircraft will be measuring the minor variation in the earth’s magnetic fields and gamma radiation in the soil.
He added that it is a positive technique that does not involve sending out any signal or sound waves into the ground and, therefore, remains a very safe aerial survey.
In a statement, the ministry called on the state and local government that would be covered by this survey not to panic, either as a result of the loud noise of the aircraft due to the low flying altitude maintained by the aircraft or the pattern of movement of the aircraft.
