GEOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF MINERAL RESOURCES IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA
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Date
2011
Authors
Adekoya, J.A
Kehinde-Phillips, O.O
Odukoya, A.M
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Mining and Geology
Abstract
Tl>e occurrence and distribution ol the resourc~s of 'outhw<:stem Nigeria >re intim~t~ly ;a.uooated w11h
the geology ol tho area. The bouement complex ol southwestern Nig~ria hes to the e>~l of the We.st Nrion
Cr;aton, an area that Ius undergone l~te Preombrian to early Paleooic ~ogen~sis . To the ea.st v>d south. the
Mesotorc-Reccnt sedtments ol the Dahomey and Nrger Cout•l (hsrns cover the () ....,m<!nl Comrlcx.
Tl>e mlncr>l r~sources of southwestern Nigeria are grouped into three. nvnely; met>lltrcrous. industn•l •rxl
energy minerals. These mlnftrols can also be crouped into economic miner ol d~f>O<l s, whkh r~serve> arc known
or approximated and occurrences to which tonnage onno t be rmputcd. The b•semcnl complex of «>uthwestern
Nlgorb hosts lmponant deposits ol gold, In the He-llesln schist belt >nd tin-IM>t•llum·n>abn .. n rn the pcgmotrtcs
of l!ero and lregun. Genulones such :u aquamarine, zircon, rutile and emerald arc illcg•lly m.ncd at Ofrki ar>d
Olode. Occurrences of nickel and d>romite are known rn lfe .flesh> >re> Feldspan and quutz OCCUI' w>dely rn
Ogbomosho area.
Extensive deposits ol ulc are found >I Apomu and llcsha . Feldsp>rs and qu>rtz <>CCllr widely in the
pegmatltu ol Olode. Osogba. lwo, lregun >nd IJero. There is •n .important dcf>Osrt or marble withrn the
migmatlte-gneiu complex of lgbetl. Construction >ggrcg>t es He w;dely drllnbutcd. Srrnrl.lrly uc occvrrcr><:c s
of bauxite In Orin Eklti and Oy>n. sillimanite In Orin Ekiti, Oy•n •nd lb>dan, while rn<><ylxlenum in lkcrc-Ekrtr.
In the sedimentary terrain ol southwestern Nigeria . there are rmpon ant depo"u o r lomcSiooc >1 Sh>g>mu.
Ewekoro, and lbese; silica sands ol Aiyetoro, ljebu-lre . Okitirup•. J1ero, Lckki and lgbakoda. Extensive <.lcpos•IS
of kaolin ue fo und at Ebe, lbeso. lmeko among othen. llrick d ay dcpasiu >r1! ubiquitous. There arc occllrrencc>
of phosphates at Oshosvn, Seriki-Oko, ldogo, AJdruidc and Fagbahun. These occvrrerxes ore :U'Ociatcd wit h
gypsum ind are radioactive. Important deposiu ol tar und ,uc found at Yemoji. lwopin ancf Agbabu.
Som<l of the mineral deposits are small In size and not suitable lor large ulc r; vng entcrpris•'.l. Wrth.
Interest In small-sole mining Increasing and u the Industrial inlr.utrvcturc in southwestern Nigeria o,~. sn'>ll
low-cost mining venture's can contribute 10 economic development ol lhc st lx.ly area by providing raw
materials that would otherwise have 10 be impon~:d . In order lor government or priv>tc entrepreneurs to rc>p
maximum bcncftiS from their investment In mining vcnturr.s, the problem ol iller,•l "''""'!:· pan Cl ~.lfl;: ol Rdld
and gemstones will have to be addressed.
Description
Keywords
basement , feldspar , distribution
Citation
Adekoya, J.A., Kehinde-Phillips, O.O & Odukoya, A.M (2011). GEOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF MINERAL RESOURCES IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA. Journal of Mining and Geology, 47(1), 1-13.