A Professor With Mining in His Academic DNA: The Case for Iyakwari
A Nasarawa-born professor whose expertise in mining, mineral processing, geosciences and university leadership deserves serious consideration
The establishment of the proposed Federal University of Mining Technology, Nasarawa presents an important opportunity for Nigeria to build a specialised institution capable of developing the knowledge, skills and research needed to advance the country’s solid minerals sector.
At the heart of that ambition is the question of leadership: who has the academic depth, professional experience and institutional capacity to help build the university from its foundation?
Professor Iyakwari is a Professor of Applied Mineralogy and Exploration Geology at the Federal University of Lafia and an indigene of Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. His academic career has been built around geology, mining, mineral exploration, mineral processing and environmental geology, areas that are closely connected to the mandate of a specialised mining university.
Professor Iyakwari holds a PhD in Mining and Mineral Engineering from the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, United Kingdom, specialising in Mineral Processing and Applied Mineralogy.
His doctoral research examined the use of near-infrared sensors for mineral pre-concentration, with particular attention to copper and platinum ores. His work involved advanced analytical techniques including QEMSCAN, XRD, XRF and near-infrared scanning.
He previously obtained an MSc in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology, specialising in Mineral Exploration, and a BSc (Hons) in Geology and Mining, both from the University of Jos.
This academic foundation gives him a particularly relevant understanding of the technical and scientific dimensions of the mining industry.
Professor Iyakwari’s academic career spans almost two decades. He began as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Geology and Mining at Nasarawa State University and progressed through Assistant Lecturer, Lecturer II, Lecturer I, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor before attaining the rank of Professor in 2024.
He currently serves as Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences at the Federal University of Lafia and is a member of the university’s Senate. His previous responsibilities include Acting Head of the Department of Geology, Postgraduate Coordinator and Undergraduate Fieldwork Coordinator.
These roles have given him experience not only in scholarship but also in academic administration, coordination and institutional decision-making.
His research interests include mineral exploration, mineral pre-concentration and processing, geochemistry, environmental geology, geology and geotourism, also his CV records 35 articles in learned journals, with recent publications addressing subjects such as coal exploitation, mineral deposits, geothermal exploration, artisanal mining and environmental impacts associated with mining.
He has also contributed to research involving mineral resources and mining activities in Nasarawa State, including studies of mineral-bearing ores and environmental issues associated with mining.
𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺
His professional engagement extends into the wider mining sector.
In 2025, Professor Iyakwari participated as a member/consultant in a Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and World Bank multi-stakeholder consultative workshop focused on developing Nigeria’s energy transition and critical minerals value-chain roadmap.
He has also served as a resource person for the Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. In 2021, he presented on investment prospects for Nasarawa State Government in the mining sector.
At a 2020 Raw Material Research and Development Council capacity-building workshop, he delivered presentations on geology, mine development, ore extraction, beneficiation and value addition for artisanal and small-scale mining operations.
His CV further records his contribution to discussions on the environmental impact of mining in Nasarawa State.
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝘆𝗮𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗶 belongs to professional bodies including the Council of Nigerian Mining, Engineers and Geoscientist, the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers and the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society.
He has also participated in mining and geosciences conferences in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and Europe.
Among his academic distinctions are a postdoctoral fellowship at the Camborne School of Mines, a TETFund scholarship for his doctoral studies and an outstanding presentation award at the 2014 Mineral Engineering Conference in Poland.
For Nasarawa State, the proposed university represents more than the creation of another higher institution. It can become a platform for developing specialised human capital, strengthening mining research and supporting responsible exploitation and value addition within the state’s mineral resources.
For Nigeria, a properly developed mining university could contribute to the broader effort to build local expertise around mineral exploration, processing, environmental management and the development of critical mineral value chains.
That makes the choice of its pioneer leadership especially important.
The first Vice-Chancellor will help establish the institution’s academic direction, research priorities, professional partnerships and institutional culture. The person appointed will therefore need more than a distinguished academic title; the role calls for someone who understands the subject at a deep level while also possessing experience in university administration.
Professor Iyakwari’s record places him firmly within that conversation,
Gbagyi Icons Nigeria believes Professor Shekwonyadu Iyakwari deserves consideration as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Mining Technology, Nasarawa.
This is not a call to bypass due process or predetermined selection criteria. It is a call for his credentials to be properly examined alongside those of other qualified contenders.
The final decision should be guided by merit, competence, experience, integrity and vision.
𝗚𝗯𝗮𝗴𝘆𝗶 𝗜𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮
