The “Nigerian Mineral Resources Decision Support System” (NMRDSS): A milestone in the mining sector related data management and analysis
5th – 8th February 2024, Cape Town (Republic of South Africa)
At the Mining INDABA 2024, Beak Consultants is excited to presents the latest successful application of its “advangeo® Software Solutions”. In Nigeria, advangeo® products have been used for the development and implementation of the “Nigeria Mineral Resources Decision Support System” (NMRDSS) for the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD) and the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), in the frame of the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification project.
In an era of digital transformation and digital technologies, information must be readily available for evaluation and decision-making. Decision support systems have emerged as invaluable tools offering organizations the means to navigate countless entries, optimize choices, and achieve results based on data. This is certainly the case of Nigeria, where a Mining Support System has been created and implemented with the aim of operating a knowledge-supported mining sector investment decision support system and making the system sustainable and attractive, all while driving the availability of geological information required to support investment decision in the industry. The architecture is based on two main components, a backend that controls the data entry and data processing, and a front end that displays the data allowing analysis and decision-making. The system has been built on state-of-the-art technology linking relational geo-databases to ArcGIS leveraging on data distribution and Windows security.
The results of this implementation delivered the first constituent (back end) where information is divided into relevant modules, for instance mineral occurrences and spatial data, and allows all the entries to be visualized in a GIS environment and to be filtered. The compilation of the information is successful by joining content and context data. The second component (front end) not only displays relevant information that allows external users to visualize in a transparent way the availability of data in areas of interest, but also uses geo-processing tools for identifying mineral occurrences that follow certain criteria (e.g., 5km distance from main roads).
The linkage stablished between the organization and external stakeholders was optimized and the flow of information goes in straighter paths. Additionally, the Ministry can now store data centrally enacting better standard operating procedures (SOPs) for data handling and data security. Furthermore, data back-up now forms an integral part of their procedures preventing any data loss that was originally acquired for large sums of money. In conclusion, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD) and the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) now count with a fully functional, robust and intuitive system that manages the data, allowing both an easy post-processing of data and the sharing of information with the relevant parties (e.g., investors). This paves the way for value added products such as mineral predictive mapping and metallogenic maps, since it is now evident which and where geoscientific data is available in Nigeria.
The Mining INDABA 2024 conference and exhibition will take place in Cape Town from 5th until 8th February 2024 at the CTICC. Meet our staff members Dr Andreas Barth and Andreas Brosig at our booth J14!
