World Bank Eyes Partnership With Nigeria To Strengthen Mining Sector

August 17, 2025
world Bank

The World Bank has said it is impressed with the Mining Cadastre Office’s strides in digitalisation and transparency.

It noted that it won’t mind exploring areas of partnership that can fur­ther strengthen Nigeria’s mining sector.

This was said by Naora Arfua, who led the Bank’s delegation during a working visit to the MCO headquarters on Friday.

During the visit, the high-powered delegation held discussions with the Director General of the MCO, Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom, and senior management staff to explore collaborative opportunities aimed at driving economic growth through the mining sector in Nigeria.

Central to the discus­sions were strategies for: Leveraging technology to improve efficiency and transparency in mining op­erations, promoting sustain­able practices to safeguard the environment, and en­suring the sector’s optimal contribution to national de­velopment.

Nkom highlighted the MCO’s ongoing reforms de­signed to reposition the sec­tor as a driver of economic transformation, while em­phasising the office’s com­mitment to accountability and investor confidence.

The World Bank team ex­pressed readiness to support Nigeria’s extractive indus­try agenda, pledging tech­nical and financial backing for initiatives aligned with global best practices.

The meeting ended with a mutual agreement to deepen engagements and explore partnerships that would enhance the mining sector’s role in national de­velopment.