The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has revealed plans to establish a regional Geo-Extractive Observatory based on the eMC+ Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office (NMCO).
This was disclosed during a visit by a delegation of ECOWAS Technical Experts, led by William Badu, a principal officer of ECOWAS, to the NMCO office in Abuja.
A Model for Regional Integration
The NMCO’s eMC+ system, launched in November 2022, has been operational for over two years, providing a web-based platform for managing mineral titles and promoting transparency.
Simon Obadiah Nkom, Director-General of the NMCO, highlighted the benefits of the system, saying,
“We believe we have had a lot of dividends from migrating the system to a web-based system. It has boosted transparency, created more transparency in the system, integrated beneficial ownership, and integrated politically exposed persons.”
ECOWAS’ Interest in Nigeria’s eMC+ System
William Badu explained that the ECOWAS delegation visited the NMCO to observe a practical demonstration of the eMC+ system.
“Our main purpose is to have a practical demonstration or observe a practical demonstration of how the Nigeria eMC+ system operates,” he said. “We are looking at establishing a regional geo-extractive observatory and key data system, and Nigeria’s eMC+ system is a model we are considering.”
Regional Cooperation and Integration
Badu emphasised the importance of regional cooperation and integration, stating, “The way ECOWAS was established, cooperation, harmonisation, and integration underline our operations. The objective is for member states to cooperate, harmonize, and then eventually get regional integration in all spheres.”
Impressed by Nigeria’s Progress
Madu Hassan Fika, Chairman National Expert ECOWAS, expressed his impression with the eMC+ system, saying, “What I saw today actually changed my impression completely because the mining cadastral office has gone far to be able to develop this kind of technology that can give an oversight view of what is happening in the entire cadastral system of Nigeria.”
The ECOWAS delegation’s visit aims to finalise a report on the feasibility of establishing a regional geo-extractive observatory and key data system.
The NMCO’s eMC+ system is seen as a model for other member states to emulate, promoting regional integration and cooperation in the extractive sector.
