World Class Mineral Discovered In Nigeria, Govt. To Sign Exploration Deal With Australian Firm

A private mining syndicate has made a potentially “world class and highly unusual” Nickel discovery in Nigeria, The Australian, an Australian national newspaper is reporting.

The private mining syndicate is reportedly headed by Hugh Morgan, a mining industry veteran.

“The discovery is unusual because the nickel is found in small balls up to 3mm in diameter of a high purity in shallow soils in what could be the surface expression of a much bigger hard-rock nickel field,” the newspaper said.

“The nickel balls, rumoured to grade better than 90 per cent nickel and thought to be a world first given their widespread distribution, offer the potential for early cashflow from a simple and low-cost screening operation to fund a full assessment of the find that has exploration circles buzzing.”

Details of the discovery are sketchy, according to the newspaper, but it was rumoured to be close to Dangoma, a small farming town about 160km northeast of the Nigerian capital of Abuja.

Checks by showed that Dangoma is located in the North-West state of Kaduna.

When asked to comment last week, Mr Morgan reportedly said it was for the Nigerian government to make an announcement.

Kayode Fayemi, the Minister for Solid Minerals, will be among the speakers at a three-day Africa Down Under mining conference at Perth’s Pan Pacific Hotel, Australia, in September.

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Nigeria To Establish N5bn World Class Medical Research Centre

The Institute of Human Virology, IHVN, and Access Bank Plc, yesterday, unveiled plans to establish a N5 billion world class Medical Research Centre for infectious and non infectious diseases on Nigerian soil. Some of the diseases expected to be researched into include HIV&AIDS, tuberculosis, Lassa fever, cancer, among others.

The centre will be under the leadership of Professor Alash’le G. Abimiku, a distinguished scientist and will be used to create an enabling environment for creative thinking and innovation in science to address Nigeria’s and global health priorities.

Making the announcement at a press conference in Lagos on the collaboration with Access Bank, IHVN, and Dangote Foundation to raise N5 billion for the centre, Chief Executive Officer of IHVN, Dr. Patrick Dakum, said the building of the centre would improve the management of infectious diseases that had continued to ravage communities across the country.

“Nigerians have been victims of many disease outbreaks in the last three decades now, HIV has claimed the lives of many Nigerians, Ebola and most, recently, Lassa fever have become diseases of great public health concern because of their devastating consequences on the lives of the population, especially the productive sector,” he said. Executive Director, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu, said the ultra-modern research facility would go a long way to help nip diseases in the bud.

Credit: Vanguard

Akpabio’s World Class Hospital Opens 6 Months After Launch

The much talked-about “world-class” Akwa Ibom specialist hospital has finally begun operations, six months after it was hurriedly commissioned by former Governor Godswill Akpabio who left office May 29.

The hospital, initially known as the Akwa Ibom 20th Anniversary Hospital, is now officially called Ibom Specialist Hospital.

The hospital became a subject of controversy in September after Mr. Akpabio, now senate minority leader, travelled to the United Kingdom for medical attention after a car accident, abandoning the multibillion naira facility his administration promoted as being of world class standard.

Mr. Akpabio later said the hospital’s takeoff was delayed because foreign doctors billed to work there had not been cleared by the Nigerian Immigration Service to travel to the country.

He said the hospital would start off with 150 expatriates at once.

Some of the doctors are now in the state, and have been deployed to test run equipment at the facility.

About 25 foreign doctors have so far started work at the hospital while about 125 others were still being expected in the country.

It was unclear how many Nigerian doctors would be employed at the new hospital.

On Wednesday, doctors, mostly Indians, were busy carrying out medical examinations on the people who visited the hospital for treatment.

Credit: PremiumTimes