Mineral Resources in Nigeria and Their Locations

In this article, we shall discuss about the mineral resources in Nigeria and their locations. Nigeria, the world’s most populous black nation is endowed with numerous mineral and natural resources found in its portion of the earth’s crust, located in all 36 States of the Federation.

These natural resources found in Nigeria were bestowed to the country by providence for its benefit and harnessing them has helped to shape the economy of the country. We will take a look at the full list of mineral resources in Nigeria as we conclude this article. Since the advent of Crude oil and the oil booms in the country, Nigeria has shifted greatly to being overly reliant in Petroleum because of the lots of revenue generated from it, and that love for petro-dollars has seen neglect for the many other natural resources it has.

If the shift from crude oil can be made, Nigeria will be better placed to become a crown jewel among the nations because of the numerous mineral and natural resources that it can harness, export and generate huge revenue from which will significantly improve its economy. Coal is one of the major mineral and natural resources found in large deposits in Enugu, Nigeria and it has been serving the country with distinction prior to the time when petroleum was discovered.

As a matter of fact, our country has one of the best coal deposits in the world and this particular type of coal, due to its low sulphur and ash content is eco-friendly. If Nigeria restarts coal mining again, this will rake in huge revenues for the country and compliment what is already being generated from petroleum. Crude oil, also known as black gold, is the life wire of the Nigerian economy presently. While it has been more of a blessing than a curse, over-reliance on this very particular mineral resource might do us more harm than good in the future, especially when many nations of the world are shifting their focus towards renewable energy.

Another natural resource in abundance in Nigeria today is rock salt, which is one of the most sort after mineral resources in the country. Rock salt is used to produce cooking salt also known as table salt, caustic soda, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, to mention but a few and there are about 1.5 million tonnes of rock salt deposits in Nigeria currently. Lead and Zinc are spread across different States in the country, which span the North and South of it. Proper harnessing of these natural resources will do us more good than what is currently obtained in the economy in recent times.

Natural resources such as Iron-Ore, Limestone, Kaolin, gemstones like Ruby and Sapphire, other mineral resources such as Bitumen, Gypsum, Talc, Bentonite, Barite (Baryte) and Gold are scattered in the different parts of the country as we shall see in the list below. All these natural resources, if properly given the attention they deserve, as is with the case of crude oil, will surely make Nigeria’s economy a force to be reckoned with on the world stage.

MINERAL RESOURCES IN NIGERIA AND THEIR LOCATIONS: FULL LIST 

In this list, we have captured the most important mineral and natural resources in every State of the Federation, beginning with the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Emphasis is made on these natural resources being the most important because it is believed that there is more to what is deposited on the earth’s crust in the country than what is in this list. Seeing that the earth itself is very blessed with so many things yet undiscovered, we will with the passage of time, update this list as more natural resources are unearthed.

The following is a list of all mineral resources in Nigeria and where they are located:

ABUJA

Mineral resources in Abuja include:

• Marble
• Clay
• Tantalite
• Cassiterite
• Gold (this is partially investigated)
• Lead /Zinc (Found in traces)
• Dolomite

ABIA

Mineral resources in Abia include:

• Gold
• Salt
• Limestone
• Lead
• Zinc
• Crude Oil

ADAMAWA

Mineral resources in Adamawa include:

• Kaolin
• Bentonite
• Gypsum
• Magnesite

AKWA IBOM

Mineral resources in Akwa Ibom include:

• Lead
• Zinc
• Clay
• Limestone
• Uranium (Found in traces)
• Salt
• Lignite (Found in traces)

ANAMBRA

Mineral resources in Anambra include:

• Lead
• Zinc
• Clay
• Limestone
• Iron-Ore
• Lignite (This is partially investigated)
• Salt
• Glass-Sand
• Phosphate
• Gypsum
• Crude Oil

BAYELSA

Mineral resources in Bayelsa include:

• Clay
• Limestone
• Gypsum (This is partially investigated)
• Uranium (This is partially investigated)
• Manganese
• Lignite
• Lead (Found in traces)
• Zinc (Found in traces)

BAUCHI

Mineral resources in Bauchi include:

• Amethyst (violet)
• Gypsum
• Lead (Found in traces)
• Zinc (Found in traces)
• Uranium (This is partially investigated)

BENUE

Mineral resources in Benue include:

• Lead
• Zinc
• Limestone
• Iron-Ore
• Coal
• Clay
• Marble
• Salt
• Barites (Found in traces)
• Gemstones
• Gypsum

BORNO

Mineral resources found in Borno include:

• Diatomite
• Clay
• Limestone
• Hydrocarbons (This is partially investigated)
• Gypsum
• Kaolin
• Bentonite

CROSS RIVER

Mineral resources found in Cross River include:

• Limestone
• Uranium
• Manganese
• Lignite
• Lead
• Zinc
• Salt
• Crude Oil

DELTA

Mineral resources found in Delta include:

• Marble
• Glass Sand
• Gypsum
• Lignite
• Iron-Ore
• Kaolin

EBONYI

Mineral resources found in Ebonyi include:

• Lead
• Gold (partially investigated)
• Salt

EDO

Mineral resources found in Edo include:

• Marble
• Lignite
• Clay
• Limestone
• Iron Ore
• Gypsum
• Glass Sand
• Gold
• Dolomite
• Phosphate
• Bitumen
• Crude Oil

EKITI

Mineral resources found in Ekiti include:

• Kaolin
• Feldspar
• Titanium
• Granite
• Syenite

ENUGU

Mineral resources found in Enugu include:

• Coal
• Limestone
• Lead
• Zinc

GOMBE

Mineral resources found in Gombe include:

• Gemstone
• Gypsum

IMO

Mineral resources found in Imo include:

• Lead
• Zinc
• Limestone
• Lignite
• Phosphate
• Marcasite
• Gypsum
• Salt
• Crude Oil

JIGAWA

Mineral resources found in Jigawa include:

• Butytes

KADUNA

Mineral resources found in Kaduna include:

• Sapphire
• Kaolin
• Gold
• Clay
• Serpentinite
• Asbestos
• Amethyst
• Kyanite
• Graphite (This is partially investigated)
• Selenite
• Mica (Found in traces)
• Aquamarine
• Ruby
• Rock Crystal
• Topaz
• Copper
• Tourmaline
• Gemstone
• Tantalum

KANO

Mineral resources found in Kano include:

• Cassiterite
• Copper
• Glass
• Sand
• Gemstone
• Lead
• Zinc
• Tantalite

KATSINA

Mineral resources found in Katsina include:

• Kaolin
• Marble
• Salt

KEBBI

Mineral resources found in Kebbi include:

• Gold

KOGI

Mineral resources found in Kogi include:

• Iron-Ore
• Kaolin
• Gypsum
• Feldspar
• Coal
• Marble
• Dolomite
• Talc
• Tantalite

KWARA

Mineral resources found in Kwara include:

• Gold
• Marble
• Iron-Ore
• Cassiterite
• Columbite
• Tantalite
• Feldspar (found in traces)
• Mica (Found in traces)

LAGOS

Mineral resources found in Lagos include:

• Glass Sand
• Clay
• Bitumen
• Crude Oil

NASARAWA

Mineral resources found in Nasarawa include:

• Beryl
• Aquamarine
• Heliodor
• Dolomite
• Marble
• Sapphire
• Tourmaline
• Quartz
• Amethyst
• Zircon
• Tantalite
• Cassiterite
• Columbite
• Lamanite
• Galena
• Iron-Ore
• Barites
• Feldspar
• Limestone
• Mica
• Cooking Coal
• Talc
• Clay
• Salt
• Chalcopyrite

NIGER

Mineral resources found in Niger include:

• Gold
• Talc
• Lead
• Zinc

OGUN

Mineral resources found in Ogun include:

• Phosphate
• Clay
• Feldspar (Found in traces)
• Kaolin
• Limestone
• Gemstone
• Bitumen

ONDO

Mineral resources found in Ondo include:

• Bitumen
• Kaolin
• Gemstone
• Gypsum
• Feldspar
• Granite
• Clay
• Glass Sand
• Dimension Stones
• Limestone
• Coal
• Crude Oil

OSUN

Mineral resources found in Osun include:

• Gold
• Talc
• Tourmaline
• Columbite
• Granite

OYO

Mineral resources found in Oyo include:

• Kaolin
• Marble
• Clay
• Sillimanite
• Talc
• Gold
• Cassiterite
• Aquamarine
• Dolomite
• Gemstone
• Tantalite

PLATEAU

Mineral resources in Plateau include:

• Emerald
• Tin
• Marble
• Granite
• Tantalite
• Lead
• Zinc
• Barites
• Iron-Ore
• Kaolin
• Belonite
• Cassiterite
• Pyrochlore
• Clay
• Coal
• Wolfram
• Salt
• Bismuth
• Fluoride
• Molybdenum
• Gemstone
• Bauxite

RIVERS

Mineral resources found in Rivers include:

• Glass Sand
• Clay
• Marble
• Lignite (Found in traces)
• Crude Oil

SOKOTO

Mineral resources found in Sokoto include:

• Kaolin
• Gold
• Limestone
• Phosphate
• Gypsum
• Silica Sand
• Clay
• Laterite
• Potash
• Granite
• Gold
• Salt

TARABA

Mineral resources found in Taraba include:

• Kaolin
• Lead
• Zinc

YOBE

Mineral resources found in Yobe include:

• Tintomite
• Soda Ash (This is partially Investigated)

ZAMFARA

Mineral resources found in Zamfara include:

• Coal
• Gold