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AN IN-DEPTH OVERVIEW OF THE MINING INDUSTRY IN THE PAST.

Mining is the process of extracting valuable minerals from the Earth's surface, including its oceans. With a few notable exceptions, a mineral is an inorganic substance found in nature that has a specific chemical composition, physical characteristics, or molecular structure. (Coal is one organic material that is frequently referred to as a mineral.) Ore deposit refers to a mineral deposit that is large enough and concentrated enough to invite exploitation, whereas deposit refers to a natural occurrence of a useful mineral (Hobert 1950).

Nigeria's natural riches and the wealth buried beneath her soils, notably the vast mineral deposits scattered throughout the nation, served as a major justification for colonial authority. These deposits were so enticing and numerous that the colonial administration decided to combine the regions that are now known as Nigeria intoacilitate colonial management and shipment to Europe.

The Mineral Survey of the Northern Protectorates was established by the British colonial government in 1903, and the Southern Protectorates soon after. By the 1940s, Nigeria had established significant coal, tin, and columbite production. When oil was discovered in 1956, the mineral industries suffered as attention was diverted to extracting oil. The Civil War in the 1960s caused foreign mining specialists to leave the nation and mines to be abandoned. Regulations for mining underwent a significant adjustment, and productivity fell. The government began offering government-owned mining enterprises to private investors in thte 1990.

In 1913, gold output reached its peak in the 1930s. Production decreased while the Second World War was going on. Colonial firms abandoned mines, and production never increased.

In order to investigate gold, the Nigerian Mining Corporation (NMC) was established in the early 1980s. Its failure was caused by a lack of money and the allure of simpler earnings from oil production. In Osun State in South Western Nigeria, there have been some recent developments in the search for gold. Artisanal miners continue to engage in small-scale mining operations.

At the Udi Ridge in Enugu, coal was first found in 1909. British mine engineer Albert Kittson made the discovery. Sedimentary rock and altered old flora combine to form coal geology.

By 1916, the Ogbete Mine had opened and was consistently extracting coal. Production of coal increased to 180,122 long tons by 1920. (183,012 t). Nigerian coal production reached 565,681 long tons by 1960 after the country's establishment in 1950. (574,758 t). Numerous mines were abandoned as a result of the Nigerian Civil War. The early 1970s saw the conclusion of the conflict, but coal production never recovered. In the end, attempts to mechanize the sector in the 1970s and 1980s failed and in fact hampered productivity because of issues with installation and maintenance. In Nigeria, the functioning of the railway system is the primary use of coal. After the civil war in Nigeria, coal was converted to diesel, and the coal mining sector was shut down.

In an effort to restructure its electricity sector, Nigeria is investigating coal as an alternative energy source, according to Minister of Mines and Steel (Sarafa Tunji Ishola) who also urged Chinese companies to engage in the coal business.

All of Nigeria's mining permits and rights are managed by the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office. They are a division of the Federal Republic of Nigeria's Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

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