The National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, has led NANS executives and student leaders on an industry working visit to Sewia Mining & Refinery in Accra, Ghana.
The visit provided the delegation with first-hand exposure to gold processing and other aspects of the precious-metals industry, including a live demonstration of gold smelting.
A major highlight of the engagement was a ₦15 million commitment by the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sewia Mining & Refinery, Hon. Olatunde Gideon Igbasan, to support student development and welfare initiatives. The commitment comprises ₦10 million for NANS Nigeria and ₦5 million for NANS Ghana.
Receiving the delegation, Igbasan urged young Africans to explore opportunities beyond conventional career paths, particularly those emerging from the continent’s abundant mineral resources.
He said Africa must move beyond the export of raw minerals by prioritising responsible mining, traceability, local processing and value addition.
“We are sitting on enormous mineral wealth in Africa. The future is not simply to extract and export our resources, but to make them traceable, process them, add value and build industries around them. That is how we create jobs for our young people and generate sustainable revenue for our countries,” he said.
Igbasan identified mining, geology, mineral processing, logistics, compliance, technology and precious-metals trading as some of the areas offering opportunities for young people.
He also expressed the company’s readiness to explore practical training and industry-exposure opportunities for young Africans.
The practical session enabled the NANS delegation to observe how mineral resources move from extraction through processing and value addition, giving students a clearer understanding of the connection between academic knowledge and industrial application.
The engagement also highlighted the importance of equipping graduates with practical skills and industry experience alongside formal academic qualifications.
In recognition of his contributions to student and youth development, the NANS delegation presented Igbasan with an Award of Excellence.
The Ghana Chapter of NANS also honoured him with a Patron Award in recognition of his support for students and commitment to creating opportunities for young people.
The engagement brought together student leadership and the private sector to explore ways of strengthening young people's participation in industries capable of contributing to Africa’s economic development.
For NANS, the visit reinforced the importance of exposing students to industry and encouraging them to develop practical competencies that can support employment, entrepreneurship and participation in emerging sectors.
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