Integration of Remote Sensing and Ground Geophysics for Mineral Exploration Management in North Central Nigeria

This study examines the integration of remote sensing and ground geophysical methods as a managed exploration workflow for solid mineral prospecting in North Central Nigeria. North Central Nigeria's basement complex hosts diverse mineral resources that are inadequately developed due to limited application of systematic exploration approaches. Combining satellite remote sensing for low-cost first-pass targeting with prioritised ground geophysics improves exploration efficiency and reduces the cost of defining drillable targets. This study designs, implements, and evaluates a two-stage exploration programme in a 200-square-kilometre area in Kogi State hosting known iron ore, barite, and marble occurrences. Stage 1 integrates ASTER and Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery for alteration mapping and structure analysis with NGSA aeromagnetic data interpretation to produce a mineral prospectivity map ranking sub-areas by target potential. Stage 2 deploys ground magnetic, IP, and VES surveys in the top-ranked target areas to delineate specific drillable anomalies. Programme management aspects including budget allocation, risk management, quality control, and reporting protocols are documented. Findings reveal that Stage 1 remote sensing and aeromagnetic processing reduces the ground survey target area by 68 percent relative to treating the entire region equally. Stage 2 ground surveys successfully identify three IP-resistivity anomalies with drill-ready confidence. The total exploration cost per delineated drill target is reduced by 44 percent compared to an all-ground survey approach. The study recommends the staged remote sensing-ground geophysics workflow as a standard exploration management framework for Nigerian basement complex mineral exploration.

Keywords: remote sensing, ground geophysics, mineral exploration, North Central Nigeria, staged exploration.