252 
The federal government has commenced Airborne Geophysical Survey in Ogun and 17 other states, including the Federal Capital Territory.
The Director of Special Duties in the Ministry, Mr. Yisau Adepoju, who disclosed this at a press conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said the survey, which commenced in Kwara State on Wednesday, will last for about six weeks.
He hinted that the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification Project (MinDiver) is a World Bank-supported project under the ministry.
โThe survey will be carried out in 18 states of the federation, and 112 local government areas, including the Federal Capital Territory, to determine accurate mineral locations, using modern-day ferromagnetic mechanismโ.
โThe key priority of the federal government is to enhance the diversification of the economy to a broader range of productive sector.
โThe survey will enable the federal government to discover more solid minerals and promote investment in the sector and boost employment opportunities and wealth creation, in the country,โ he said.
โOther states where the exercise will be carried out include Kwara, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Bauchi and the FCT.
โThe survey will be measuring minor variations in the earthโs magnetic fields and gamma radiations in the soil. It is a passive technique that does not involve sending out any signals or sound waves into the ground and therefore remains a very safe aerial surveyโ.
He added that โthe survey is similar to the previous ones that took place between 2003 โ 2007 and 2009 โ 2011 which was conducted over the entire country, but remained largely unnoticed by most Nigeriansโ.
โThis current survey is expected to return more details and information on the geology and mineral potentials of the country due to improvement in technology and advancement in knowledgeโ.
He urged people in the states and the local government areas where the survey will be carried out not to panic as a result of loud noise from flying aircraft altitude.
He solicited the support of the state government to encourage citizens of the LGAs and the general public not to panic.
