Opponents of an independent Yoruba Homeland warn that independence would be economic suicide. Most government spending in Yorubaland, they say, derived from Nigeria’s oil money. Without that income, they warn, Yorubaland would be ravaged by poverty. This is just scare mongering.
The fact of the matter is that Yorubaland has an abundance of mineral resources that would easily, and more profitably, replace Nigeria’s oil money. Nearly all the mineral resources are yet to be commercially exploited. The domestic mining industry is underdeveloped. Indeed, the level of exploitation is exceedingly low in comparison to the extent of deposits. These natural resources currently make negligible contribution to the economy of Yorubaland. Today, materials that could be produced locally are imported. All that would change with independence.
Bitumen
Yorubaland has several billion barrels of bitumen deposits, and tar sands and heavy oil, that are at least twice the size of Nigeria’s existing reserves of crude petroleum. Most bitumen used for road construction in Yorubaland is currently imported.
Coltan ores
Yorubaland has Coltan ores – columbite, tantalite etc – which are used to produce the elements niobium and tantalum. Tantalum is used in the electronic industries.
Gold
There are proven reserves of both alluvial and primary gold in the schist belt located all over Yorubaland. Gold production which started in 1913 was abandoned by the British during WWII. Production has never recovered.
Gypsum
There are deposits of several million tonnes of Gypsum spread all over Yorubaland. Gypsum is used in the production of cement, Plaster of Paris (used in medical practice) and classroom chalks. The current cement production is not close to matching the needs.
Iron Ore
There are at least a billion tonnes of iron ore in deposits in Yorubaland. The Aladja and Ajaokuta Steel complexes are available local mills to take the iron ore.
Kaolin
An estimated reserve of 3 billion tonnes of good kaolinitic clay are available in many localities in Yorubaland. Kaolin is used in the manufacture of ceramics, porcelain, the white incandescent light bulb etc. Foreign Kaolin is currently being used as fillers but, Bentonite clay provides a unique alternative.
Talc
There are deposits of several million tonnes of talc in Yorubaland. The talc industry is one of the most versatile sectors of the industrial minerals of the world.
Other minerals
There are potential bauxite deposits (main source of aluminium), and deposits of lithium minerals.
Yorubaland presently is divided into 8 administrative territories. Each territory has an abundance of metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits as listed below:
Ekiti - Feldspar, Granite, Kaolin, Syenite and Tanium
Kogi - Coal, Dolomite, Feldspar, Gypsum, Iron-ore, Kaolin, Marble, Talc and Tantalite
Kwara - Cassiterite, Columbite, Feldspar, Gold, Iron-ore, Marble, Mica and Tantalite
Lagos - Bitumen, Clay and Glass-sand
Ogun - Bitumen, Clay, Feldspar, Gemstone, Kaolin, Limestone and Phosphate
Ondo - Bitumen, Clay, Coal, Dimension Stones, Feldspar, Gemstone, Glass-Sand, Granite, Gypsum, Kaolin, Limestone and Oil/Gas
Osun - Columbite, Gold, Granite, Talc, Tantalite and Tourmaline
Oyo - Aqua Marine, Cassiterite, Clay, Dolomite, Gemstone, Gold, Kaolin, Marble, Sillimanite, Talc and Tantalite
Many rich and successful countries in Europe do not possess the natural resources that Yorubaland possesses. We know we can make a success of what we have. We have done it before. From 1954 to 1959 we were first in Africa in all spheres of development including education, industrialisation and leisure. Indeed, our development then was well ahead of that of Singapore and South Korea. The quality of the Yoruba human capital is on display in the governments of Biden in the USA and Sunak in the UK. All we want is the chance to do things for ourselves in an independent Homeland.
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