Nigeria gets centre to monitor seismic activities, earthquakes

The Federal Government has inaugurated the Centre for Geodesy and Geo-dynamics in Toro, Bauchi State.

The centre was set up for monitoring seismic hazards and mitigate the impact of earthquakes when they occur.

Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister of Science and Technology, inaugurated the centre on Thursday.

According to him, the establishment of the centre represents the Federal Government’s policy of planning for, and securing sustainable development in the country.

“Technological innovations play central roles in activities of all sectors of the economy; the science and technology ministry is focused on developing both its human and natural resources to bridge the gap between Nigeria and the advanced countries.

“The right vehicle towards achieving that aim is hard work and right attitude towards coming up with positive results from painstaking research activities to help in holistic planning so as to secure lives and properties

“This centre is key to seismic hazard and related hazards monitoring and mitigation; it is key to the realisation of government’s policy on planning, security and sustainable development,” he added.

In his welcome remark, Prof. Saidu Mohammed, the Director General, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), said that the centre would serve as a space-based geophysical tool that would help the country in global geodetic and geo-dynamical activities.

Mohammed added that it would also help in monitoring and predicting seismic activities and mitigation of their impacts through a well-fortified and integrated response mechanism.

He said that the positive and constructive stride was geared towards finding enduring solution to the perennial environmental disasters from natural sources.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that a Seismic Network centre, Earthquake monitoring centre, an administrative block and an auditorium were among structures inaugurated by the minister.

(NAN)