The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, has directed the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) to provide hourly updates on seismic activities following earth tremors recorded in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The directive came after the NGSA confirmed that a light seismic event affected several buildings in Abuja on Tuesday, raising concern among residents.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Lara Owoeye-Wise, Alake, who is currently in Washington, D.C., for engagements with American investors on mining joint ventures, urged residents to remain calm and continue with their normal activities.
He assured the public that the Federal Government had activated proactive measures to protect lives and property while closely monitoring developments in the affected areas.
“Residents should go about their lawful activities without anxiety. Necessary measures have been deployed to ensure public safety,” the minister said.
Alake also instructed the NGSA to submit hourly situation reports directly to him to enable continuous assessment of the situation and, where necessary, prompt escalation to relevant authorities.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to maintaining close surveillance of seismic activities and providing timely updates to the public as events unfold.
The NGSA disclosed that its Seismic Monitoring Station in Utako detected the earth tremor at exactly 11:23:27 a.m. on Tuesday.
According to the agency, the tremor originated from a depth of one kilometre and travelled over a distance of four kilometres within five seconds.
The seismic event was classified as light, with an intensity ranging between I and II on the Mercalli Intensity Scale.
While noting that available data showed no immediate cause for alarm, the NGSA stressed the importance of sustained monitoring and increased public awareness.
The incident has heightened public attention on seismic monitoring in the FCT, with authorities assuring residents that surveillance will continue and that any significant developments will be promptly communicated.
