The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has commended Nigeria’s electronic system for managing mining licenses, hailing it as an exemplary model for transparency and digital transformation that should be replicated across the region.
During a high-level visit to Nigeria’s Mining Cadastre Office in Abuja on Friday, technical experts from the West African regional bloc described the country’s web-based platform, known as eMC+ (electronic Mining Cadastre Plus), as a benchmark for managing mineral titles.
William Badieo, leader of the ECOWAS delegation and the bloc’s regional mining systems coordinator, stated that Nigeria is “far ahead” with its “fully functional, transparent, and accessible digital system.” He noted that the visit was part of ongoing efforts to establish a harmonised regional system for overseeing the extractive industries, which would learn from Nigeria’s progress.
“Nigeria’s progress in digitising its mineral licensing system stands as a benchmark in the region,” Mr. Badieo explained, adding that the aim was to evaluate Nigeria’s digital capacity as a foundation for a unified West African mining cadastre.
The Director-General of Nigeria’s Mining Cadastre Office, Obadiah Simon Nkom, said the ECOWAS visit recognised Nigeria’s leadership in mining sector reform. He highlighted that the eMC+ system, operational for over two years since its launch in November 2022, allows for real-time online license applications, remote access globally, and integrates disclosures on beneficial ownership and politically exposed persons.
“We are not only reforming for Nigeria; we are building a system that supports the continent’s shared goals,” Mr. Nkom said, emphasizing that a harmonised system would benefit investors across the ECOWAS region.
Other delegates, including Chief Geologist at Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Madu Fika, and Eugene Norman, Head of Sierra Leone’s Mining Cadastre Office, also expressed admiration for the advancements. Mr. Norman stressed the importance of such peer-to-peer learning for elevating mining governance standards across all member states.
ECOWAS hopes to adopt Nigeria’s eMC+ as a foundational framework for creating an investor-friendly extractive data platform for the entire West African sub-region, aiming to boost transparency, accountability, and investor confidence.
Add Comment