Percy Onyeka
Federal Government has stated that it is the overarching priority to mitigate natural disaster and safeguard lives and properties of Nigerians that informed it decision to establish seismic monitoring stations.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake disclosed this in his remarks at the commissioning of the National Seismic Monitoring Station-Five by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) located at Katampe in Abuja.
He emphasized that the 5th seismic monitoring station at Katampe will enable the detection and monitoring of future occurrence of earthquake and tremor in and around the Federal Capital Territory and help upscale the level of safety of lives and properties.
Alake, in a statement by the Deputy Director Information and Public Relations, Mr. Alaba Balogun yesterday, cited incidences of earth tremors that had taken the country unaware in recent past.
He stated, ”What we need to do is to keep expanding the frontier of our knowledge, make arrangements to mitigate natural disasters and safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians. It is pivotal to the efforts of government to enhance it’s service delivery to its citizenry as a responsible entity.”
“Who knows the next place, so am happy we are now being compelled to make initiatives. And that is why government is prepared to support any act of creativity from whichever side as long as it is proferring solutions to problems of our environment.
”These stations are located in University of Abuja Gwagwalada, Nasarawa State University, Keffi and the Veritas University, Bwari with the centre at NGSA Headquarters Utako (Abuja). Other stations are NGSA offices in Kaduna and Ilorin”.
The Minister commended the collaborative efforts of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and the University of Abuja in bringing the seismic project into fruition, stating that the project will also mitigate the effects of global climate change which is in line with the Tinubu led administration to improve the living standard of Nigerians.
“The NGSA, and of course the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has taken this bold step to initiate, to monitor seismic tremors anywhere in Nigeria; and we are going to expand the scope to cover more areas. The Renewed Hope Agenda of this present government covers all aspects of our human endeavour.
“We are extending the frontiers of knowledge. Even in the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, when we came in, we rolled out the 7-point Agenda covering all aspects of Solid Minerals. The first thing we did, is to put the solid minerals of Nigeria on the global map. And how did we do it? By marketing the potentials we have in Nigeria to the investing world”, the Minister stated.
In his address, the Director-General of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Dr. Abdulrazak Garba who advocated for capacity building of NGSA staff in seismic monitoring using modern technologies said ”A robust seismic monitoring capability alligns with the Federal Government Renewed Hope Agenda as it concerns sustainable development involving the integration of technology, innovation and strategic planning to create an environment that is efficient, resilient and respinsive to the needs of the nation”.
Seismic monitoring system is one of the three waveform technologies used to detect and locate underground nuclear explosions and the numerous natural and man-made seismic events that occur every day such as earthquakes and mining explosions.
Techrectory with Agency Report
