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NSEG Honours Shinkafi, Cites SMDF’s Mining Investment Drive
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Published 10/19/2026 9:35:07 PM
NSEG Honours Shinkafi, Cites SMDF’s Mining Investment Drive – THISDAYLIVE
Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The Nigerian Society of Economic Geologists (NSEG) has conferred honorary fellowship on the Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), Hajiya Fatima Umaru Shinkafi, alongside two other industry figures, citing her role in attracting investment and advancing Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
In a statement signed by Head of the Corporate Communications Department of the SMDF, Idowu Jokpeyibo, the award was presented at the opening ceremony of NSEG’s 5th Annual International Conference and Exhibition in Kaduna on Monday.
The conference was themed, “Unlocking the Earth’s Mineral Potential: Innovation and Discovery for Future Resources.”
The president of NSEG, Prof. Samuel Olobaniyi, said Shinkafi earned the recognition for her contributions to the development of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
According to the society, Shinkafi repositioned the SMDF as an institutional platform for attracting private capital into Nigeria’s underexplored mining industry, restructuring its investment architecture and establishing a dedicated capital pool for the sector.
It added she had assembled a pipeline of projects reflecting the country’s mineral potential and the Fund’s institutional partnerships.
NSEG also highlighted the SMDF’s partnership with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), through which the two institutions are jointly developing an alumina refinery expected to contribute $1.2 billion annually to Nigeria’s gross domestic product and generate more than $25 billion in value over the project’s lifecycle.
The society also cited the SMDF’s Early-Stage Mineral Exploration and Research Grant Endowment (EMERGE), an initiative designed to provide catalytic funding for early-stage mineral exploration, critical minerals development and research and development.
The programme seeks to address financing gaps that often prevent exploration projects from attracting conventional private investment, helping promising ventures progress towards investment readiness.
NSEG further highlighted the SMDF’s partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria in developing and launching the National Gold Purchase Scheme, which it said was fully operational.
According to the society, the scheme seeks to formalise artisanal and small-scale gold mining, build sovereign reserves in local currency and establish a transparent, compliant pathway for Nigerian gold to access international markets, while improving environmental, social and governance standards across the supply chain.
The other honorary fellowship recipients were Chief Innocent Ezuma, Executive Chairman of Etazuma Mining Industries, and Sir Abu Karofi, an economic geologist and administrator whose public service career in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector spans more than four decades.
Ezuma is an industrialist, mining and energy entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is also recognised as a pioneer of Nigeria’s modern coal industry.
Karofi’s contributions to the profession earned him a fellowship of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS). He was also conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by the Federal Government.
In addition to the honorary fellows, NSEG conferred its regular fellowship on seven industry professionals: Kolwole Matthew Ogunbiyi, Director-General of the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency; Hon. Matthew Oyedokun, Vice-President of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society; Tunde Muritala Arisekola, a geoscientist; Silas Yakubu, Vice-President of Kimberlite Africa Exploration Company of Nigeria; Dr. Edwin Ekwo of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency; Prof. Ezeh Hilary, a fellow of the NMGS; and Prof. Rafiu Babatunde, a COMEG-certified chartered geologist.
Olobaniyi commended the recipients and urged them to sustain their contributions to the development of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
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Jobberman Nigeria, Nigeria’s leading career development and recruitment solutions company, has launched ‘Her Next Move’, a campaign designed to empower young Nigerian women with practical skills and confidence to pursue career opportunities and participate more fully in the workforce.
Through free online training, the initiative supports women aged 18 to 35 as they prepare to enter the workplace, advance into better roles or explore freelance and gig work.
Built around the message ‘Your Future. Your Skills. Your Move’, the campaign places female inclusion at the centre of career development, encouraging women to take an active role in shaping their professional futures. It connects the ambition to progress with an accessible starting point: learning skills that can help women prepare for their next opportunity.
‘Her Next Move’ recognises that career progress looks different for every woman. For a graduate, it may mean preparing for a first job. For a woman already working, it may involve developing the skills to take on greater responsibility or pursue a new role. For another, it may mean understanding how to navigate freelance work and participate in the global gig economy. The campaign brings these aspirations together through a shared emphasis on learning, preparation and action.
This Initiative by Jobberman in partnership with Mastercard Foundation promotes two courses: Jobberman Soft Skills Training and Becoming a Successful Global Gig Worker. Both courses are free, with a free certificate upon successful completion.
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By making the training and certification available at no cost, ‘Her Next Move’ reduces the financial barrier to participation and encourages more young women to invest in their professional development. Its focus extends from raising awareness of learning opportunities to helping participants follow through and complete their chosen course.
To bring the campaign to life, Jobberman is working with young creators who are sharing personal stories about ambition, career transitions and the role of learning in their journeys. Through videos, social media posts and follow-up conversations, the creators encourage young women to reflect on their own goals and identify the practical steps they can take towards them.
These stories are intended to make career development relatable, connecting everyday aspirations with opportunities to learn. Across the campaign, the question “What is your next move?” invites women to define progress for themselves and begin preparing for it.
‘Her Next Move’ reinforces Jobberman’s and Mastercard Foundation’s commitment to supporting career development and expanding access to learning for young Nigerian women. By combining free skills training with relatable storytelling and encouragement to take action, the campaign seeks to help more women feel prepared to pursue their ambitions.
