List of mineral resources In Ebonyi State, their uses and major information you need to know. 

Ebonyi State is one of the states in the southeastern part of the country, founded back then in 1996 during the administration of late General Sani Abacha who created the State from parts of both Enugu State and Abia State.

Although filled with various ethnic groups, Ebonyi State is majorly dominated by the Igbo people, and the city of Abakaliki remains its capital. The State is blessed with lands that are good for agriculture (which made Ebonyi State a leading producer of foods like rice, yam, beans, and maize), as well as various solid mineral resources (such as lead and crude oil). It is popularly referred to as “the salt of the nation” as a result of its big salt deposit at the Okposi and Uburu Salt Lakes.

Mineral Resources In Ebonyi State

Ebonyi State is regarded as one of the poorest State in Nigeria currently, but we should note that the State is actually filled with several important and valuable mineral materials like:

Glass Sand, Salt, Shale, Ball Clay, Galena, Marble, Lead/ Zinc, Limestone, Refractory Clay, Gypsum, Granite, etc, and they are scattered across several local government areas in the State. 

ABAKALIKI:

Here are the Mineral resources in Abakaliki – the state’s capital:

    • – Lead/zinc
    • – Brine
    • – Limestone
    • – Gypsum
    • – Marble.

IKWO:

Here are the Mineral resources in Ikwo:

    • – Lead / Zinc
    • – Brine

ISHIELU:

Here are the Mineral resources in ISHIELU:

    • – Limestone
    • – Gypsum

IZZI

Here are the Mineral resources in Izzi:

    • – Lead/Zinc
Mineral Resources In Ebonyi State

IVO

Here are the Mineral resources in Ivo:

    • – Granite, 
    • – Lead/ Zinc.

ONICHA

Here are the Mineral resources in ONICHA:

    • – Lead/ Zinc
    • – Granite
    • – Gypsum
    • – Shale
    • – Salt
    • – Pyrite
    • – Fluorspar

AFIKPO  NORTH

Here are the Mineral resources in AFIKPO  NORTH:

    • – Granite
    • – Laterite
    • – Limestone
    • – Galena
    • – Salt
    • – Marble

AFIKPO  SOUTH

Here are the Mineral resources in AFIKPO  SOUTH:

    • – Limestone
    • – Granite
    • – Ball Clay
    • – Laterite
    • – Galena.

OSHAOZABA:

Here are the Mineral resources in OSHAOZABA:

    • – Clay
    • – Bentonite
    • – Salt
    • – Lead/zinc
    • – Gypsum
    • – Limestone
    • – Black Marble
    • – Pyrite
    • – Quartz
    • – Fluorspar
    • – Granite

Uses Of Mineral Resources In Ebonyi State 

Here are the uses of some of the prominent mineral resources in Ebonyi State:

– Glass Sand: These are critical economic sources of silica for glass as well for chemical industries. These minerals, which are not totally pure, are used in glass containers, flat glass, frit production, etc. 

– Lead/ Zinc: We should first take note of the fact that Lead-Zinc ores do occur together, and they, many times, have something to do with copper and silver. These minerals are available in Ebonyi State as well as some other parts of the country, and they are used in construction, making of ammunition, ceramics and so on. Additionally, they are also used as a protective coating on steel, for electroplating, for nutrition, for nuclear shielding, as well as in medicine, paints and vulcanizing rubber.

– Salt: It is popularly known that salt is an important affair when it comes to cooking and making superb meals. They are being used to make food nice, to bring out the flavor of meat and vegetables, and so on. The essence of salt doesn’t only center around making of superb foods, but it has also been made known that there are over 10,000 other uses of salt. 

Generally, before the advent of today’s modernization, salt has been vehemently used for preserving food. Additionally, it is used for making soaps, for pottery, in dyeing, the making of chlorine, and so on. 

– Shale: This is the most famous sedimentary rock (a fine-grained clastic one) that consists of compacted mud that has clay and minute particles of other things like calcite, mica, pyrite, and so on. Shale is used to produce clay, cement, and so on. 

– Limestone: This is a sedimentary rock that has a huge composition of calcium carbonate as well as some other minerals. Its mining occurs in quarry benches (there, the rock is separated and divided into blocks, although it has several negative effects on the environment). After works have been done in the quarry, then it can be used in all kinds of spheres.

– Granite: These can be referred to as a coarse-grained special type of rock which is made up wholly of crystals, and doesn’t need to be quarried before it can be used. Granite tiles can be utilized to make a beautiful and strong work station, and are usually used as flooring and wall panels to make superb space. We should add that this can be utilized both as a structural element as well as a decorative facing. It is also usually used as a street curbing, and the crushed form is used as a base material when making roads. 

Gypsum: This is an evaporite mineral that is usually seen in layered sedimentary deposits, attached with some other minerals like halite, sulfur, anhydrite, and so on. One major charactestic of gypsum is that it contains two waters. For its use, it is used to make cement, wallboard serves as a soil conditioning, and also utilized in the making of several ornaments, etc. 

– Marble: Marble cannot be separated from limestone, as it is formed when the latter is subjected to high pressure or heat. It is regarded as a strong and tough stone and can be scratched with a metal blade. It is pretty precious, and it is beneficial (even economical wise) to mine it on a large scale. Marble is actually useful in the construction industry, utilized in the construction of roads, railroad beds, and so on. It can be used to make buildings and various monuments (although it can wear down over time). White marble can also be crushed to produce “whiting”. It can also be utilized to make a calcium supplement for livestock and is also useful in remediating acid damage in water and soil. 

Hopefully, if the government and private individuals can pay more attention to these mineral resources, it will ensure the creation of massive wealth in the State. 

That’s all on the list of mineral resources In Ebonyi State and their uses.

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