In a significant move to bolster Nigeria-Australia relations in the mining sector, the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Her Excellency, Leilani Bin-Juda, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, and extended a formal invitation to him to attend the prestigious African Down Under (ADU) conference scheduled to take place in Australia from September 4 to 6, 2024.
The High Commissioner used the opportunity to brief Alake on the upcoming conference and the immense opportunities the bilateral meetings would bring to Nigeria.
Australia is renowned for its abundant mineral resources and advanced mining technologies, ranking among the top producers of key minerals such as iron ore, coal, gold and bauxite. It is therefore a critical player in the global mining industry.
Dr Alake and Bin-Juda discussed potential opportunities for Nigerian professionals to benefit from like short courses in mining, hosted by Australian institutions to enhance the skills and knowledge of Nigerian experts, furthering the development of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector
A key point of discussion was the introduction of a new, free platform developed by Geoscience Australia, designed specifically for Africa, an innovative platform leverages satellite data to track and monitor mining activities across the continent, offering free, high-quality training and real-time data access.
The High Commissioner emphasized the potential of this platform to revolutionise the way Nigeria manages and oversees its mining operations.