$42bn Untapped Coal Idle In Benue River Basin

As global demand for energy consumption is on the increase, some 800 million metric tons of coal valued at $42.2 billion are wasting along the River Benue Basin, New Telegraph has learnt....

It was gathered that the coal field is stretched from Owukpa along the river basin to Enugu.
These were contained in a report by director at the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mrs Dabney Shall-Holma, obtained by this newspaper.

The deposit along the belt is 40 per cent of the two billion metric tons of the entire 22 coal fields spread around the country.

Others are the Amansiodo Coal Field, Ezinmo Coal Field, Onyeama Mine, Inyi Coal Field, Ogbete, Enugu State; Ogboyoga I Coal Field and Okaba Coal Field. Also included are Ogboyoga II Coal Field, Kogi State; Ogwashi-Azagba Lignite Field, Delta State, Okpara Mine, Oyeama Mine, Anambra State and Maiganga Mine in Gombe State.

From the coal deposit, 25,511tons were mined in 1916; 1920, 180,122 tons; 1930, 347,115 tons; 1940, 318,594 tons and 1950, 583,425tons. Also in 1960, 565,681 tons were mined; 1970, 24,404 tons; 1980, 118,317tons and 1987, 117,159 tons.
According to the report, the coal discovered at the River Benue belt was of high quality capable of generating foreign exchange for the country.

The NSC director said that the coal could be transported through the river to where it could be used to expand power generation.

In 2010, government made a move to revitalise the coal mining industry in order to expand power generation by attracting companies to develop the large coal resources.

However, no meaningful development has happened as no coal has been exported by the country.
While study by the International Energy Agency (IEA) explained that global demand for coal by 2019 was estimated to surpass nine billion tons, Foraminifera market research said that Nigerian coal was one of the most bituminous in the world, owing to its low sulphur, ash content and the most environmental friendly.

The five largest coal users are India, China, USA, Russia and Japan. These countries account for 77 per cent of the total global coal use.

Although South Africa and Zimbabwe are the only two African countries recognised by the IEA as having proven coal reserves, Nigeria is also believed to have abundant coal reserves left unexploited as the coal industry suffered a big blow since 1987.

The IEA study said that South Africa is currently leading Africa in coal export and it remains one of the top 10 coal producers in the world, responsible for about three per cent of the world coal usage.