JAPAN has pledged financial assistance to Zambia in the exploration of oil and gas.
Mines and Natural Resources Minister Wylbur Simuusa disclosed this today in Cape Town, South Africa where he is attending a Mining Indaba conference.
Mr Simuusa said Japan has assured Zambia that the funds were already available to do the exploration.
The Mines Minister was confident that the project once successful would help improve the country’s economy.
Mr Simuusa who has also taken the opportunity to meet several mining companies that are attending the same conference said new technology was required to tap into the minerals that have remained idle for many years.
He said North-western province had a lot of iron deposits but remained under utilised mainly due to lack of power in that part of the country.
Mr Simuusa observed that government had a huge challenge of translating the rich mineral resource that the country has into tangible benefits for the people.
He said it was only the proper management of the mineral resource base that would turn around the economic status of the country.
Mr Simuusa however said with the new technology, government would follow the iron wherever it was.
The minister was speaking when he met a Ghanaian investor of Jonah Capital in Cape Town today.
And Sam Jonah of Jonah Capital said his company had the equipment that was capable of getting the finished product from the iron ore.
Mr Jonah who is also chairman of Jonah Capital said he was the only one who had equipment that was capable of extracting the finished product from the iron deposits.
Mr Simuusa is accompanied by his Permanent Secretary Dr Victor Mutambo and the Chief Mining Engineer Fred Banda.
QFM
That is the way to go.Let’s tap it
Nevers Mu mba is a lia r and a mon ey lau ndering ma chine
Him and the de puty Mr Nz oya are ste aling tax pa yers money. They had fired Mr Tem bo beca use he knew about this sc am and was aga inst it. They also have a office slut , Caro lina Rod- riguez who is also abus ing the money. The Ottawa Zam bian mis sion are th ieves
can our govt tell us what happened to those blocks of oil and gas exploration that they gave out
i hope they don’t find it, if they do find it hope they are unable to drill it.
name a single country in Africa or the middle east with oil that has not experienced conflict?
Ghana has oil and there is no war there.Â
Ugnada too..
Actually.. Equatorial Guinea and Gabon
Ba Kembo bamo!
@ Magent ghana and nambia recently found large oil reserves …1 : the anglophone countries 2: they’ve learnt and hopefully we’ll learn the lessons from others ….bt. the economy needs to become more stable before we produce oil which fortunately takes years to set-up the drilling and all the admin around itÂ
By LT! What does this “Mr Jonah who is also chairman of Jonah Capital said he was the only one who had equipment that was capable of extracting the finished product from the iron deposits” mean?
Good observation, this is how government officers begin mooting single sourcing ideas. Why should this be the only company with that kind of equipment? Rubbish.
Way to go. Not brainwashed dunderheads like #4 Magent, always wanting poverty.
Involvement of Japan in oil exploration in Zambia will definitely promote transparency and accountability in the exercise. Private companies would start pumping the oil but continue reporting that they are still doing some tests before full scale production starts. By the time they announce commencement, they would already have sucked the economy of the much needed foreign currency income and some Zambian’s bellies would bulge beyond recognition. So, bravo, the Japanese are 100% welcome.
By the way, is the Minister of Mines in order to announce Japanese involvement from SA? Why didn’t he announce to the nation of the noble support from Japan even before announcing to outsiders? Is there something he and his government were trying to hide? We need to change the way politiciands operate. Politicians must respect Zambians by informing them timely of major developments and where necessary, consult. Consultation increases ownership of decisions made (whether correct or wrong is immaterial). PF please, consult the masses, we are your masters, not the other way round!
This sounds great, but, the heading is about oil, and then in the story we’re talking about north-western province iron deposits. Where is the oil exploration to take place?
stop wasting your time looking for the oil which is not there,maximise on the copper you have.
Its funny you attend a mining indaba and during break time or over a beer the minister talks to japanese and they promise they will invest in Zambia , also talking to a Ghanian crook and when he is drunk he says he is the only one with equipment in the world? Then journalist report to us giving the nation hope? Its easy the minister had to report something for his allowances in south africa, but please lets be serious this is not the way we get investors, our people must learn to write proposals, present facts in your papers, problems and reasons why you can’t solve them. Its easy to fool african pipo because they don’t write.
Lets go Japan, lets go Zambia.
Once we find the oil, we need to be very careful which friends we keep. Once we find the oil, the only friends we find will be the ones who want to rape us.
I think the chances of finding oil in Zambia a minimal and even if they found it,it will be in very small quantities that won’t be enough for consumption. I have been doing a research,though not done yet,and during this research I discovered that most of the countries that have oil have got sea coast or something like that. That’s because hydrocarbons are vast in these places. It will be stupid to think we will find oil because we are neighbours with Angola.They should stop wasting money and concentrate on things that will be profitable.
hahaha ,I’m a petrol-chemical Engineer working for chevron for 7 years now ,hydrocarbon can be found anywhere where life existed either in form of plants or animals,Uganda and Sudan do not have sea coast but they produce oil ,I suggest you re-do your research perhaps with help from professionals ,you don’t seem to know what you are talking about .I have been to zambia ,I know there is possibility of oil .
Leusgo you are spot on. Issues discussed over a beer at break should not be gospel truth to raise expectations of the nation. PF awe mwandina is a circus leading to a big disaster
If oil is discovered in the Barotseland uMuchanga, I hear Sata will quickly sign a statutory district to take Kalabo district and make it an enclave of Muchinga district.
at the fella who says am brain washed and a “dunderhead”.?
does it not surprise you or anyone one else that oil is suddenly being “discovered” in  a lot of countries in africa. people who have a vested interested in the oil must have know about these oil reserves long ago. they have exhausted and Frustrated the middle east and north africa now they are looking for new countries to exploit
i am not advocating poverty but it is a fact that oil brings with it unwanted problems. the “oil curse” is a real issue that is acknowledged by many countries who strike oil . from civil war, corruption, economic instabiilty are some of the few things that come with oil.
in an ideal situation striking oil would be a welcome development, but in my opinion under the current prevailing conditions in the country it would do more harm than good. just as copper is both a curse and blessing to zambia, for years  we have relied on copper neglecting other aspects of the economy,  not developed industry fully only concentrating on extraction an exportation, even the education system was molded to produce workers for the mine, up to this day parents still tell their kids “go to school graduate and get a job in the mines” with this mentality  it would be any a different with oil?
Enlarge the agricultural sector and we make that mula.
@14 BRAGADOCIOUS
Uganda, South Sudan and to some extent Congo DR in Africa do not have sea coasts and yet the have plenty of oil. It is very possible Zambia can have oil too. Congo DR does have access to the coast right next to Cabinda were most of Angola’s oil is drilled from.
Do some proper research next time.