Mineral Resources Department
Functions & Responsibilities
Ondo State is richly endowed with abundant mineral resources that are of diverse industrial applications. These economically viable mineral deposits, which include petroleum, bitumen, kaolin, clay, glass sands among others, if judiciously managed, have the potential to serve as major foreign exchange earning with considerable multiplier effects as well as input for the local industries.
The need to regulate and actualize the exploration, exploitation and development of these potentially – rich mineral resources by the State Government without contravening existing regulation of the Federal Government to the overall benefit of the State and her citizenry, the Department Mineral Resources was established as a bold attempt to spur the rapid and beneficial development of the state’s solid mineral resources.
The Department which is expected to unlock the economic potentials of the solid minerals sub-sector of the state is strategically positioned in the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources to efficiently promote exploration/exploitation of all mineral resources except hydrocarbon (oil and gas) and ensure routine inspection/monitoring of mining activities in the state. Besides, it stands to bridge the long standing gap between the mining operators and host communities.
The Department engages in assessment, evaluation, characterization of minerals and formulation of policy and regulations guiding the various stages of prospecting, quarrying and mining in the state. It also facilitates the resource estimation of known mineral occurrences as well as providing information on prospective areas of mineral exploration and health hazards traceable to the underlying geology.
Mr Abiodun Jones
DIRECTOR, MINERAL RESOURCES
Our Mandate
In the quest to generate adequate and appropriate mineral data for development of minerals that abound in the state, the department of Mineral Resources has been mandated to perform the following functions;
- Facilitate exploration of solid minerals
- Promote resource evaluation undertaken to quantify the grade and tonnage of any discovered of mineral occurrence
- Mineral promotion activities
- Provision credible and bankable geoscience information on industrial minerals required by both domestic industry consumption and the export market e.g kaolin, gypsum, limestone, lead and gold
- Generation of appropriate revenue for the government
Responsibilities
- Investigation of the reported mineral occurrences within the state.
- Identification of minerals through physical and chemical analysis.
- Coordinating the preparation of administrative report for mining and quarrying lease by relevant state and local government department.
- Geological / Remote sensing mapping of mineral deposits.
- Collection, Collation of data on places of occurrence, estimate reserve and quality of mineral.
- Creating awareness on endowment of mineral resources and their strategic role in socioeconomic and industrial development of the state.
- Preparation of detailed Mines Development Plan
- Monitoring of quarrying/ mining related activities
- Showcasing the mineral potential of the state both at local and international trade fairs.
- Production of investment manuals or technical brief on all available minerals that abound in the state.
- Accompany the would-be investors to mineral sites with the view of seeing the extent of mineral deposits.
- Collaboration with relevant Ministries/Agencies/Institution
- Periodic meetings with mining/quarry operators.
Recent Achievements
- The Solid Mineral unit in collaboration with Ondo State Investment Promotion A have acquired several mineral titles which includes:
- Quarry leases which cover exploitation of granite, laterite and sands that serves as raw materials for construction purposes.
- Exploration licenses/Mining leases which cover exploration and exploitation of Silica Sand, bitumen, limestone, kaolin and Iron Stone.
- Reconnaissance exploration for industrial grade limestone in Okeluse, Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State were carried out
- Exploration of high-grade Kaolin in Irele and Ose Local Government Areas were also carried out
- Reconnaissance exploration for silica sand at Igbokoda, Zion Pepe, Aboto in Ilaje Local Government were carried out.
- Exploration of bitumen
- Inauguration of Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO) for Ondo State. The committee is saddled with the responsibility of coming up with the appropriate strategies and polices towards the proper management of the environment. Besides, they are to develop blue-prints for the sustainable management of the abundant mineral resources of the state
- Resolution of crisis between mining operators and their host communities to sustain the atmosphere of peaceful co-existence in the operational area in collaboration with MIRENCO
- Aggressive monitoring of Mining/Quarry activities in the State to ensure best practices/safety control in mining operation and curb illegal mining operations in the State
- The Department has been collaborating with relevant State/Federal Ministries & Agencies towards the sustainable development of the mineral resources of Ondo State.