Minister for Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Mohammed Musa Sada has said that the quality of data generating from the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has always served as a spring board to most geological activities in the country and beyond.

Arc.M.M.Sada stated this today while addressing the staff and management of Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) as part of the continuation of his familiarization visit to the agency in Abuja.

He revealed that quality being one of the basic characteristics of any  data do not only predict but gives prospective investors the confidence and justifications of what he or she is venturing into particularly in drilling oil or mining activities.

 The  Minister however stressed that not purely technical but social census of the country’s mining communities and geological prospects should also form part of some information emanating from the agency  so that a given researcher or investor can fully value his/her findings and investment based upon data provided.

He then charged the staff and management to be more focused as individual productivity matters most in the agency’s critical role towards the transformation drive of Nigeria’s economy away from oil.

Earlier the Director General, Nigerian Geological Survey  Agency, Professor Siyan Malomo while tracing the history of the Agency to 1919 following the disbandment of Mineral Survey of northern and southern Nigeria in 1909 and 1913, said the headquarters was permanently stationed at Kaduna in 1930 as   it was now established in Abuja since year 2000.

Prof. Malomo further informed that the agency was to among other things produce geosciences information for the development of a viable mining industry and poverty alleviation, carry out basic geo-scientific research to advance knowledge as well as it serves as the national depository of all geo-scientific information relating to the earth, the marine  and geomagnetic space.

He also revealed that apart from closely working with the global geological giants like the  US, UK, Finland and South African Geological Survey Agencies, the NGSA was very much aligned with the seven point agenda of the present administration and the vision 2020  as anchored on 5 pillars of growth  such as quality geo-science data, sustained mineral exploration, ease of access to minerals/capital, functional cross-sectional linkages and sustainability as well as 2 enablers of institutional and human capacity and legal regulatory framework.

Similarly, the Minister while fielding questions from journalists to round up his familiarization visit to formations under his Ministry within the Abuja metropolis has said that “the whole idea of serving the Nation is not about duration of service but what that servant was able to put in place as an achievement for him and to those will come after him/her and continue as he/she continued from where he/she took over, but definitely I am very determined to leave legacies here within the short span of President Jonathan’s administration”.