The Federal Government has stressed the need to computerise the nation ‘s mining sector , saying  it will enhance development and efficiency of the sub -sector of the economy.

Sensitising primary stakeholders on the adoption of the Electronic Mining Cadastre System, (eMC+), in Ibadan, Director General/ CEO, Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, under the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, South West region, Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom, said the new system was designed to cater for the entire process of Mineral Title administration; from application submission, payment of fees, granting (refusing) up to the issuance of certificate.

According to him, the efforts towards the computerization of the Mining Cadastre Office picked up with development focused on enhancing development.

“EMC+ is simply like the word, Electronic Mining in Cadastre and like i said, somebody will say what is the +, we will have to be able to put the + looking at the global trend; what are the attributes you need to add and that is the +,  to make it effective, efficient, transparent  and we will be able to adapt it to the whole word and things that are coming.

“One needs to now put those attributes in place. so Electronic Mining Cadastre will be able to now access the system from anywhere in the world, you dont need to come, you don’t need to leave Ibadan, even with your phone you will just see and have access to the status of the mineral titles, you will be able to have email send to you, stages of your licencing proceedings.

In his goodwill message, Commissioner for Environment, Oyo State, Abiodun Oni lauded the initiative, saying it will go a  long way in the effectiveness and efficiency of the mining cadastre processes.

The commissioner who represented the state governor, Seyi Makinde, therefore urged all relevant stakeholders to take maximum advantage of the programme, stressing  it will benefit the mining sector tremendously.

“I dare submit how easy my job will become with this innovation. Technology they say is the bedrock of modern civilization, without technology the mother of modern technology will not grow.

“I am particularly inspired by some of the hurdles this innovation will address. This will set the pace for the mining sector to work and deliver more efficiently and effectively.

Barrick Gold, a large gold producer, has partnered with PRISMA Training Solutions, a leading professional training provider, to enhance training at its sites in Tanzania.

The gold producer has targeted fostering local mining sector growth at its North Mara and Bulyanhulu mining projects and has collaborated with PRISMA in order to deliver tailored and sustainable education and training solutions. The aim of the partnership is to enhance productivity, efficiency and safety at the sites while prioritising human capital development and elevating the capabilities of local suppliers.

The project, which is expected to last three to five years, began with a gap analysis encompassing technical training, compliance, safety measures, surface training, career development and training planning. Initially, the focus was on evaluating mine technical training with the subsequent phase assessing surface training, soft skills, mineral processing and plant operation training.

With this completed, a formal analysis report was generated with recommendations for the implementation of necessary training services at the mines. The advised actions revolve around resource allocation, trainer placement, curriculum design, learning material enhancement and the potential inclusion of software and technology. It also addressed community upliftment and skills transfer at both mining sites.

In January 2023, PRISMA began deploying trainers to develop learning materials and evaluate the competencies of both permanent and contracted employees on-site. They also established concrete career path frameworks to rectify existing frustrations surrounding the lack of growth opportunities in the mining environment.

Jacques Farmer, managing director at PRISMA, commented, “This effort aligns with our resource management and human capital development strategies. We are moving forward toward the ultimate goal of transferring skills and competencies to the organisation’s internal training department. This will establish their efficiencies and effectiveness to eliminate the need to rely on external training providers from other African countries.”

The project is now deep in the third phase. At this point, PRISMA has begun implementing the recommendations made in the first two phases that will set the wheels in motion for self-sufficiency.

The two entities have highlighted the focus on localisation, with PRIMSA proposing conducting induction and initial training in Kiswahili, the local language, and establishing clear career paths for mine workers. In addition, the Women in Mining initiative was championed to raise diversity and inclusion, with 20 women from local communities trained to operate underground dump trucks over approximately six months.

Notably, PRISMA has promoted the use of cutting-edge technology in teaching methods. At the Tanzanian sites, it utilised both underground and open-air mock mine environments to simulate real working conditions for trainees. By interacting with lifelike simulations, miners can refine their skills, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities.

The organisation’s e-learning platform is being updated, and this is being incorporated into training practices along with a psychometric assessment tool to assess learners’ capabilities in different underground mining scenarios.

“Looking at Barrick’s journey from last year to now, there’s been a transformative shift. We’ve introduced a human capital development career path for miners and completed the implementation of a total quality management system,” remarked Farmer. “Moving forward, whether it’s a PRISMA or Barrick trainer, they will be equipped with the process to train, assess, manage grievances, handle discipline, conduct moderation, perform audits, and manage training matrices and needs analyses for the upcoming year.”

“This partnership serves as a testament to the profound impact of localised skills development within the African mining sector. It underscores the pioneering role of African suppliers, showcasing their ability to deliver world-class training interventions right on the continent. This alliance stands as a transformative model, charting a path towards enhanced productivity, safety, and industry excellence for years to come.”

South Africa said its state-owned power utility will add 2,400 megawatts of generating capacity to the country’s strained electricity grid before the end of the year.

That extra capacity will come as Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. restarts three units at Kusile, one of its newer coal-fired power stations, Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa told reporters at a briefing on Sunday. A fifth unit will be commissioned from December, eventually bringing another 800 megawatts online.

South Africa is implementing record power cuts to prevent a complete collapse of the grid as Eskom struggles to meet demand from its old and poorly maintained coal-fired plants. The government has vowed to end the outages, with President Cyril Ramaphosa appointing an electricity minister to drive its response to the crisis.

The Kusile units are returning to operations after being granted exemptions relating to sulfur-dioxide emissions until December 2024.

The recent announcement of a US$500 million lithium refining facility in Ghana is the latest sign that moves by African nations to restrict the flow of unprocessed minerals from the continent may be bearing fruit.

Ghana has known lithium reserves of some 35 million tons. Earlier this year, the country passed its Green Minerals Policy, which, amongst other things, restricts raw mineral exports.

A consortium led by CAA Mining Ltd, Luxembourg-based Livista Energy and Livista’s local subsidiary, Livista Ghana Ltd. has secured a 200-acre plot for the project, according to mining news publisher, Africa Mining Market.

CAA Mining’s CEO expects the facility to open in 2026, according to Africa Mining Market with the establishment of the refinery linked to a license to explore for further lithium deposits.

Chikohora pointed to an industrial boom in the country once the refinery opened, which would add to jobs in mining and refining.

“There will battery producing companies, vehicle assembly plants and many other job opportunities,” said the UK-based mining executive, who has deep experience in the mining industry in West Africa as well as in Zimbabwe.

In July, Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of the Chinese mining company Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, inaugurated a US$300 million lithium processing plant in Zimbabwe. The facility boasts the capacity to process 4.5 million metric tons of hard rock lithium into concentrate for export annually.

Chikohora expects lithium from Zimbabwe to be amongst the feedstock refined in Ghana. Other regional producers include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Mali, Namibia and South Africa.

“There are only two places where lithium is refined in the world, and that is China and the US. In Africa, there is no refinery for lithium,” Chikohora said.

The Ghana refinery is to be powered by locally-secured natural gas.

The world’s top two producers, Australia and Peru, both export all their raw lithium.

Despite being endowed with rich mineral resources, African countries have not experienced the anticipated economic transformation that those resources promise.

A 2021 study, titled “Review of Zambia’s Potential for More Value Addition to the Downstream Copper Chain,” poignantly illustrates this reality. Zambia, the eighth-largest global producer of copper in 2022, according to GlobalData, predominantly exports “stage 1” copper.

In terms of value, stage 1 copper fetches approximately US$5/kg, whereas stage 2 commands a significantly higher US$30/kg. Stage 3 copper, employed in applications like inductor coils for music speakers, commands a premium price of about US $150/kg.

“In other words, the finished product at the latest stage is sold at a price that is 25.86 times greater than the stage 1 refined copper. By focusing on refined copper exclusively, Zambia could potentially earn a staggering $524.35 billion USD,” the researchers outlined in the review report, published in the Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences.

Market research and consulting firm Roskill estimates that the demand for lithium-ion batteries will surge a remarkable 83% by 2027, increasing demand for lithium hydroxide, a vital compound in rechargeable batteries, by 55% over the same period.

While the spotlight is currently on lithium, the expansion of processing facilities encompasses a spectrum of minerals. The Wall Street Journal reports that nickel, cobalt, and graphite, among others, are also targeted in this new wave of establishing local processing facilities.

Australian mining behemoth BHP, in collaboration with US-based Lifezone Metals, is on course to establish a nickel processing plant in Tanzania by 2026. Chris Showalter, CEO of Lifezone Metals overseeing on-ground operations at the Kabanga Nickel Project, revealed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the facility will supply battery-grade nickel to the global market, upon completion.

Further afield, Vision Blue Resources, a London-based mining company, through its African subsidiary NextSource Materials, is set to inaugurate a graphite processing facility in Mauritius. This facility, part of NextSource Materials’ broader plans, aims to construct multiple Battery Anode Facilities (BAFs) capable of producing anode materials for use in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicle applications.

With an eye on the future, more mineral processing facilities are on the horizon, with Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, and the DRC poised to witness the most activity.

A report by the World Bank titled ‘Africa’s Resource Future’ sheds light on the economic potential of Africa’s resources, indicating that these nations currently capture only about 40% of the revenue they could potentially derive from natural resources.

“Maximizing government revenues in the form of royalties and taxes paid by private natural resource industries, alongside attracting new investment, would offer a double dividend for countries,” James Cust, a senior economist and co-editor of the report by the World Bank, explained.

SANY celebrates 18 years of OEM-driven products and services to the construction and mining industries in South Africa this year. SANY has become a trusted and respected one-stop solution partner for southern Africa’s industry, offering renowned yellow machinery for purchase, rental, service, and financing, if required.

SANY established a presence in South Africa in 2006 with a head office in Boksburg, and has, since then, opened branches in Middelburg, Rustenburg and Richards Bay, enabling it to better reach and serve its customers. In South Africa, SANY holds R170 million in spare parts, and offers 24/7 after-sales service to customers around the country. The company aims to increase its spare parts stockholding in South Africa to R270 million in the next year. Through its footprint, SANY supports more than 3 000 operating units in South Africa.

The company’s flagship products include 5.5 – 125 ton excavators, 5 – 7 ton wheel loaders, 60-136 ton dump trucks, 12 – 20 ton drum rollers and 14 feet graders. SANY also offers a comprehensive range of round-the-clock after-sales services to ensure that its customers keep their machines running at peak performance.

“We are proud to celebrate the 18th anniversary of our presence in southern Africa,” said Samuel Zhang, MD, SANY. “For almost two decades, we have built strong relationships with our customers and partners, and are committed to contributing to the region’s development through sustainable, innovative and reliable machinery. Through our national footprint, we can help customers get what they need when they need it. We are grateful for the support of our customers and employees, and we look forward to many more years of success in southern Africa.”

SANY heavy-duty machines have been used to construct roads, bridges, power plants, and other important infrastructure projects around the world. Two major projects that made use of SANY machinery include Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) which recently earned the 1 st Mega Project Award from the International Bridge Conference (IBC). Global infrastructure experts have awarded seven excellence awards to projects around the world, and the innovations involved in the HZMB were named Outstanding Project of the Year in the 2021 FIDIC Project Awards.

The SANY Group was founded in 1986. In 1994, it independently developed China’s first high-pressure, truck-mounted concrete pump with a large displacement. With more than 30 years of dedicated innovation, SANY has become one of the largest construction machinery manufacturers in the world. The SANY Group has a footprint in southern Africa, Germany, China, USA, India, Brazil and Indonesia, the last five comprising extensive R&D facilities. Its southern Africa footprint includes South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In the past three decades, the SANY Group has expanded its business across a wide range of areas, including construction, mining, port, and oil drilling machinery, as well as renewable wind energy systems.

Steinmüller Africa continued its commitment to serving the communities operates in which through corporate social responsibility initiatives by renovating a Mpumalanga school. Hlalanathi pre-school in eMahlahleni was the beneficiary of the initiative, which was undertaken in January 2023.

Hlalanathi pre-school

The school, which currently accommodates 24 learners, received prefabricated modular classrooms as well as a kitchen. The donation of these units ensures that the learners will have a safe and adequately equipped place to learn, while the kitchen provides a facility to give the children meals during school hours.

The handover was conducted by Steinmüller Arnot Project Manager, Heinrich Geyser, who expressed the importance of education and the positive impact this initiative will have for current and future learners: “Education is a fundamental right for everyone in this country. This initiative ensures that no child is deprived of this right.”

The learners and teachers showed immense gratitude for their new facilities. Steinmüller Africa is proud to play a role in initiatives that enrich communities across the country and is dedicated to improving the lives of those it can reach.