'World Class' Nickel Discovered in Nigeria, Govt to Sign Exploration Deal With Australian Firm

A private mining syndicate has made a potentially "world class and highly unusual" Nickel discovery in Nigeria, The Australian, an Australian national newspaper is reporting.

The private mining syndicate is reportedly headed by Hugh Morgan, a mining industry veteran.

"The discovery is unusual because the nickel is found in small balls up to 3mm in diameter of a high purity in shallow soils in what could be the surface expression of a much bigger hard-rock nickel field," the newspaper said.

"The nickel balls, rumoured to grade better than 90 per cent nickel and thought to be a world first given their widespread distribution, offer the potential for early cashflow from a simple and low-cost screening operation to fund a full assessment of the find that has exploration circles buzzing."

Details of the discovery are sketchy, according to the newspaper, but it was rumoured to be close to Dangoma, a small farming town about 160km northeast of the Nigerian capital of Abuja.

Checks by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Dangoma is located in the North-West state of Kaduna.

When asked to comment last week, Mr Morgan reportedly said it was for the Nigerian government to make an announcement.

Kayode Fayemi, the Minister for Solid Minerals, will be among the speakers at a three-day Africa Down Under mining conference at Perth's Pan Pacific Hotel, Australia, in September.