By Martha Agas
The Federal Government of Nigeria has urged the Council of Mining Engineers and Geosciences (COMEG) to uphold professional standards, critical in eliminating quackery in the mining and geoscientist industry.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, made the call at the 15th induction of COMEG new members on Friday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 259 Engineers and Geoscientists were inducted into the council.
Alake, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Faruk Yabo commended the council for its commitment to professionalism and sector reforms, which he described as key in combating quackery.
“COMEG has remained the custodian of professional standard in mining and geosciences in Nigeria, and the ministry relies heavily on its work to eliminate quackery and uphold global best practice,” he said.
He said that the council’s role remained strategic and essential in positioning Nigeria’s solid minerals as a competitive destination on the African Continent.
He congratulated the newly inducted professionals on achieving the feat, stating that the profession’s value of competence and integrity were critical to the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.
According to him, the ministry sees COMEG, not just as a regulator but as a key implementing partner in President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of diversifying the economy through the solid minerals sector.
He said the mining sector’s seven-point agenda prioritises building strong institutions, enhancing skills, and fostering entrepreneurship, with COMEG playing a key role.
He said the council’s reforms support the Federal Government ’s digital transformation drive to build a transparent and fully digital mining ecosystem.
“COMEG alignment with these systems, such as the Electronic Mining Cadastral System, and Decision Support Platform will reduce delays, improve compliance and boost investors’ confidence.
The Minister commended COMEG for introducing a mandatory geo-entrepreneurship training for its members, highlighting the need for professionals to understand how mineral value addition fits into global supply chains.
He said that with stronger laws and enforcement, COMEG’s revised disciplinary framework would ensure zero tolerance for illegal mining, environmental breaches, and professional misconduct.
With the drive to formalise Artisanal and Small-scale Mining, he said COMEG had a critical role to play in organising miners into cooperatives, improving standards, and linking them to the formal economy.
Nigeria mining and sciences qualifications globally, he said, would benefit greatly from COMEG’s curriculum and quality assurance reforms.
According to him, these reforms are already yielding results because in 2025 alone, the ministry issued over 867 new mining licenses and also increased revenue generation from N12 billion to over N50 billion.
He added that the ministry had expanded nationwide geophysical survey and in 2026 would conduct more survey and exploration activities across the country.
In his remarks, COMEG’s Registrar, Prof. Zachaeus Opafunso assured the minister of the council’s commitment to continuous innovation aimed at repositioning the sector.
Opafunso said COMEG was set to empower youths through hands-on training, supporting President Tinubu’s push to boost the economy and reduce over dependence on oil.
He said the move would further enhance their skills and reduce unemployment in the country.
He urged the inductees to seek mentorship that would guide them in establishing their businesses successfully.
On her part, Ms Rose Ndong, the President of the Nigeria Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) also urged the inductees to always develop their skills, embrace innovation and ensure that they upheld the profession’s credibility.
