Director General of APC Youth West Africa and CEO of Sewia Mining and Refinery, Olatunde Igbasan, has pledged N15 million to support student development and welfare initiatives.
The commitment comprises N10 million for the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Nigeria and N5 million for NANS Ghana.
Igbasan made the pledge during a visit by a NANS delegation led by its President, Akinteye Afeez, to Sewia Mining and Refinery in Accra, Ghana.
The industry working visit gave the student leaders first-hand exposure to gold processing and the wider precious-metals industry.
Receiving the delegation, Igbasan encouraged young Africans to consider career opportunities beyond conventional professional paths.
He said Africa’s mineral resources could support industrial development if they were responsibly mined, processed and converted into higher-value products locally.
“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 pointed to gold, lithium and other strategic minerals as resources capable of supporting a wider industrial ecosystem.
He identified potential opportunities for young people in mining, geology, mineral processing, logistics, compliance, technology and precious-metals trading.
Other supporting areas of the industry, he added, could also provide opportunities for young Africans.
Igbasan also expressed Sewia Mining and Refinery’s willingness to explore practical training and industry-exposure opportunities for young people.
The initiative, he said, could help students gain a clearer understanding of the mining and precious-metals sectors.
The Igbasan NANS donation is also expected to support student development and welfare initiatives across the two NANS chapters.
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 separately honoured him with a Patron Award.
The award recognised his support for students and his stated commitment to creating opportunities for young people.
The Igbasan NANS donation comes alongside his call for students to pay greater attention to emerging opportunities within Africa’s mineral resources sector.
