Nigeria and Murdoch University, Western Australia, have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening knowledge transfer and professional capacity building in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
The development followed strategic discussions held between the university’s management and Nigerian delegation to Africa Down Under (ADU) conference.
The delegation was led by Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, who was represented by Mr. Obadiah Nkom, Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office.
The statement by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Lara Owoeye-Wise, on Sunday in Abuja said that Nigeria’s delegation held discussions with the university’s management, led by Prof. Dee O’Connor, Dean, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, on the sidelines of the conference.
She said that the discussions focused on the next phase of the Nigeria–Australia Resource Industry Collaboration and Capacity Building Programme.
The engagement, she said, centred on consolidating the gains of the programme’s first two cohorts and developing an expanded third phase with stronger industry exposure.
The Nigeria – Australia programme is a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and Murdoch University and the programme has trained two cohorts of 11 Nigerian officials each since its inauguration in June 2025.
It combines technical, policy and leadership learning with field visits, industry engagement, job shadowing, workshops and exposure to Australia’s world-class resources governance and mining ecosystem.
Owoeye-Wise said that it also sought to provide longer practical engagement and a sharper focus on preparing Nigerian mining professionals to identify, develop and present commercially viable opportunities.
According to her, the partnership reflects the broader objective of the solid minerals ministry to build a knowledge-driven mining sector capable of attracting investment, promoting responsible resource development, strengthening local expertise and driving value addition.
“For Nigeria, the collaboration also provides a platform for sustained institutional cooperation with Australian universities, regulators, industry and research institutions, ensuring that international expertise is translated into lasting Nigerian capacity,” she said.
GIK/APA