According to Nigeria's "Daily Times" reported onDecember 10, Africa Natural Resources and Mining Co., Ltd. decided to invest600 million US dollars (183 billion naira) in Kaduna State to set up an oremining and smelting integrated processing enterprise.

Finance Minister Zainaba Ahmed said that this is the firstmajor investment in the mining industry for more than two decades. The projectwill create 3,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs, which willpromote the solid mineral industry and overall economic development, diversifythe economy and increase government revenue.