The Mineral Sector Support For Economic Diversification (MinDiver) in collaboration with the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), has organised an intensive 10-day digital capacity building training for 40 MCO staff on a new Electronic Mining Cadastre upgrade called EMC+ system.
The training held from January 20 to 31 at the Digital Bridge Institute, Utako, Abuja, after the successful installation of a digital upgrade software by German consultants and technical experts, GAF-AG, at the MCO headquarters.
The installation of the Electronic Mining Cadastre+ upgrade system at the MCO by MinDiver, was in line with the ministry’s renewed effort on the automation of the Mining Cadastre System to boost investors’ confidence, generate credibility in Mining Licence Administration and digitalise the cadastre system from analogue setting.
Jointly organised by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the MinDiver Project in collaboration with the Mining Cadastre Office, the training was part of the final stages of the upgrade of the system. Prior to the training in Nigeria, the Director-General of MCO, Engr Simon Nkom had led a technical team from his office for the first round of training to the headquarters of GAF in Munich, Germany late last year.
The upgrade has gone through various stages such as ensuring compliance with the provisions of the 2007 Act in transforming irregular polygons into regular polygons and the collation and transformation of existing extant titles. It also went through the stage of computerisation in line with the provisions of the Act and lastly, the automation of the process.
The training of the technical and other relevant staff of the MCO, therefore, became necessary to help bring them up to speed in knowledge on how to use the latest automation technology that will guarantee a more robust, modern, and flexible computerised Cadastre system.
Director Concessioning, Mining Cadastre Office, Alhaji Ahmed Damagun, said the training was first of its kind in the Mining Cadastre Office. MinDiver’s involvement is a fulfilment of part of its mandate as enshrined in its operational work plan to strengthen the institutional framework governing the mining sector in Nigeria.
‘ The EMC+ System training at the Digital Bridge Institute, was the first of its kind for our staff. By this development, the Mining Cadastre System will be up to date, more efficient, robust and flexible. With this upgrade, we have moved from analogue to digital system and investors from the comfort of their rooms or offices from any part of the world can apply for licences. This optimisation will also help us to trace and monitor transactions effectively for a speedy, efficient and transparent service delivery in minerals titles and administration.’
The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development through the MinDiver Project had engaged the services German Consultants, GAFAG, for the upgrading and automation of the Mining Cadastre Office for online application, e-recording and archiving of the mineral titles administration. The Services represents th “implementation of the new Mining Cadastre” system within the framework of the World Bank program on “Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project” (2005-2012) carried out by GAF AG.
The introduction of the EMC+ System is also to strengthen property rights and security of tenure within the mining sector; enhance the transparency of the mineral licensing process and government’s regulatory capacity through improved efficiency, information availability and management.
As a platform that will ensure transformation from the computerized off- line to a web-based system, it is expected that the upgrade and automation will ensure best international practices that will enhance effectiveness and efficiency in mineral titles administration with on-line access world-wide.
