News

ImPPPact Nigeria Develops GIS Database to Reclaim Abandoned Mines in Plateau

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2025

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ImPPPact Nigeria Alliance has commenced the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) database to facilitate the reclamation of abandoned mining sites in Plateau State.

The Managing Director, Olushola Ajayi, disclosed this on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, in Abuja.

Ajayi stated that the move was part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the ministry in 2023 to reclaim abandoned mining sites in Nigeria, with Plateau as the first beneficiary.

He said that findings revealed that there is no available GIS data, crucial for providing accurate spatial and environmental information for effective planning and execution of reclamation efforts.

He further explained that the data would aid in site identification and mapping, environmental assessment, and land use planning.

“The project is in two phases, the fist data collation of the GIS data for the abandoned pits. The data is supposed to help us identify and characterise abandoned mining sites.

“Without a good understanding of their composition and condition, rehabilitation becomes very difficult,” he said.

According to him, it is engaging professionals to deliver on the GIS data and has partnered with Intomatics, a Germany-based company specialising in geomatic services.

The company, he said, is using satellite imagery techniques for the sites, and the team will proceed to Plateau to compare the images with the reality on the ground.

He added that they would work with a team of experts in Plateau, relevant government officials, and the local communities to ensure the delivery of accurate information.

The official added that, in the long run, the compiled information would be presented to the mining cadastre for future reference by investors.

According to him, the second stage of the project is reclamation, focusing on repurposing some abandoned mining sites for solar energy generation and positioning Plateau as a hub for it.

He said the achievement would be realized through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, adding that the sites could later be considered for agriculture, tourism, and other economic uses.

In his remarks, the Director of Geospatial Data for Itomatics, Andreas Kahnen, further explained that the data generated in Plateau would be fed into artificial intelligence programmes.

He said that this was to extract the specific information they are seeking from the satellite images which would help in developing a stable workflow for the reclamation of abandoned mining sites.

Responding, the minister described ImPPPact Nigeria Alliance as a key partner in their efforts to reposition the mining sector and expressed confidence in its ability to deliver on the project.

Represented by the Director of Human Resources, Dr. Ijeoma Idika, he urged them to collaborate with state officials and other relevant agencies while taking into account the various technical advice provided by the ministry.

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2026 FIFA World Cup: Tani Oluwaseyi Carries Nigerian Presence as Canada Thrash Qatar 6-0

Published

9 minutes ago

June 19, 2026

Preport

Nigeria may have missed out on the FIFA World Cup, but the country’s presence is still being felt through players of Nigerian descent competing for other nations.

One of those players is Tani Oluwaseyi, who was part of a historic night as Canada dismantled Qatar 6-0 to register their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory.

Canada were dominant from the opening whistle at BC Place and took the lead in the 17th minute when veteran striker Cyle Larin found the back of the net once again.

The Canadians doubled their advantage in the 29th minute through Jonathan David, before Qatar’s task became even more difficult two minutes later after Homam Elamin was shown a red card, reducing the Asian side to 10 men.

Jonathan David grabbed his second goal in first-half stoppage time after reacting quickest to a rebound following a saved header from Larin, sending Canada into the break with a comfortable 3-0 lead.

Canada’s momentum continued after halftime despite concerns over midfielder Ismaël Koné, who suffered an injury following a challenge from Assim Madibo. The Qatari midfielder was sent off, leaving his side with just nine men.

Inspired by their dominance, Canada extended their advantage in the 64th minute when Nathan Saliba curled home a brilliant free-kick, with players dedicating the goal to the injured Koné.

For Nigerian fans, the spotlight then shifted to Tani Oluwaseyi.

The Nigerian-born striker was introduced in the 71st minute by head coach Jesse Marsch, replacing Ali Ahmed as Canada continued their march toward a memorable victory.

Just four minutes later, Canada made it 5-0 after pressure from substitute Jacob Shaffelburg forced a Qatar defensive error.

Jonathan David then completed his hat-trick in second-half stoppage time to seal an emphatic 6-0 triumph.

While Nigeria’s absence from the World Cup remains a disappointment, Oluwaseyi’s participation offers a reminder of the country’s enormous football influence beyond its borders.

Though he did not get on the scoresheet, the forward proudly represented Nigeria’s football heritage on the biggest stage, giving supporters back home a player to rally behind.

Canada’s victory was not only historic; it also showcased how players with Nigerian roots continue to shape international football, even when the Super Eagles themselves are not part of the tournament.

Business

Senate Clears Customs of ₦62.2BN Under-remittance Allegation

Published

1 hour ago

June 19, 2026

Preport

BY JAMES OBIOMA—The Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) has officially cleared the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of a N62.2 billion under-remittance allegation originally raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation in its 2019 audit report.

The clearance followed an investigative session on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, during which the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, successfully defended the Service by proving that the alleged shortfall was a misclassification of revenue by auditors.

The original query, read by a representative of the Auditor-General under the direction of SPAC Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, had alleged that out of N691.242 billion generated by Customs in 2017, only N629.23 billion reached the Federation Account, leaving a balance of N62.2 billion.

Defending the Service’s financial integrity, CG Adeniyi explained that the multi-billion naira deficit was completely non-existent.

“The under-remittance of N62.2 billion levelled against Customs in the 2019 audit report was wrongly arrived at through misclassification of levies collected,” Adeniyi stated. “While most of the levies are to be collected and remitted into the federation account, others like the ones on local production of wheat, textiles and wines, etc do not go into the federation account, the totality of which accounted for the alleged unremitted N62.2 billion.”

Following identical, convincing clarifications on the first three major queries, a member of the committee, Senator Babangida Hussaini, wondered why the issues had not been ironed out sooner. He noted that as a former civil servant, such straightforward technicalities should have been resolved at the preliminary audit level rather than escalating to a full Senate investigation.

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