THE MIDDLE NIGER BASIN

INTRODUCTION:
The Middle Niger Basin (also known as the NUPE or BIDA Basin) is a
NW – SE trending intracratonic basin extending from Kotangora [in
the North] to just south of Lokoja [in the South]. It stretches from
the confluence of Niger and Benue Rivers to the dam lake of Kainji,
where basement rocks separate it from the Sokoto Basin.
Three physiographic units are recognized in the basin. These are (a)
The Niger River with its flood plain and distributaries, (b) a belt of
means and (c) the plains. The Niger River runs ESE in the southern
marginal area of the basin. Its flood plains are broad and marked in
most areas by a series of elongated ponds running parallel to the
river. The belt of mesas is discontinuous. It runs from an area
about 16 km. east of Mokwa to Lokoja and S.W. Dekina covering
about 10% of the basin. The top lies between 260 and 500 metres
around the Niger / Benue confluence areas. Flat lying to gently
rolling plains cover about 70% of the basin. The plains lie between
60 and 180 metres in the Lokoja area.
Sediment thickness in the Middle Niger Basin is estimated to be
between 3, 000 and 3, 500 metres (Whiteman, 1982; Braide, 1990).

STRUCTURAL SETTING:
The basin occupies a gently downwarped trough. The epeirogenesis
responsible for the basin genesis seems closely connected with the
Santonian tectonic crustal movements which mainly affected the
Benue Basin and SE Nigeria. The buried basement complex probably
has a high relief (Jones, 1955). The sedimentary formations have
been shown to be about 2,000 metres thick by gravity survey (Ojo &
Ajakaiye, 1976). The sediments are constituted by post-tectonic
molasses facies and thin marine strata, which are all unfolded.
Borehole logs, Landsat images interpretation, and Geophysical data
across the basin suggest that it is bounded by a NW-SE trending
system of linear faults [Kogbe et al., 1983]. Gravity studies also
confirm central positive anomalies flanked by negative anomalies
[Ojo, 1984; Ojo & Ajakaiye, 1989]. This pattern is consistent with rift
structures as observed in the adjacent Benue Trough / Basin.
A detailed study of the facies indicates rapid basin-wide changes
from various alluvial fan facies through flood-basin and deltaic
facies to lacustrine facies [Braide, 1990]. Consequently, a simple sag
and rift origin earlier suggested may not account for the basin’s
evolution. According to Braide [op. cit.] paleogeographic
reconstruction suggests lacustrine environments were widespread
and elongate. Lacustrine environments occurred at the basin's axis
and close to the margins. This suggests the depocenter must have
migrated during the basin's depositional history and subsided
rapidly to accommodate the 3.5-km-thick sedimentary fill.

STRATIGRAPHY:
The basin’s strata are Late Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian) in
age and were named the Nupe Sandstone by Russ (1930).
However, the Sandstone is referred by Adeleye (1972) to a Group
(instead of a formation). Adeleye (op. cit.) subdivided the Group into
four formations: Bida Sandstone (oldest), Sakpe Ironstone, Enagi
Siltstone and Batati Ironstone (youngest).
A lateral facies variation occurs in the basin. Around Lokoja, the
sequence is usually referred to as the Lokoja Sandstone. However,
the Sandstone is only partly equivalent to Nupe Sandstone
(Dessauvagie, 1975) and is overlain by the Patti Formation (Jones,
1955). We shall consider both areas.
A. BIDA AREA:
(i) Bida Sandstone: This formation consists of arkose, felspathic
sandstone, sandy siltstone and claystone. Cross-stratification and
intra-formational breccia occur. Its estimated thickness is about
2,000 to 3,000 metres (Adeleye, 1972).
The formation’s age is not known for sure as only non-diagnostic
leaf impressions have been recovered from it. It is assigned a
Campanian – Maastrichtian age although older beds may occur at its
base (Dessauvagie, 1975).
(ii) Sakpe Ironstone: This formation consists of brown to yellow,
coarse, oolitic to pisolitic thinly bedded ironstone with small
amounts of sandy claystone in places. Its thickness (about five
metres) is fairly constant (Adeleye, 1972).
According to Adeleye (op. cit.), the formation yielded a few poorly
preserved marine molluscs suggesting Maastrichtian age for it.
However, Whiteman (1982) considers the Sakpe Ironstone’s age (as
well as that of the Enagi and Batati formations) to be Campanian
based on paleogeographical grounds.
(iii) Enagi Siltstone: This formation consists of pale yellow to
purplish brown bedded siltstone, with subordinate sandstone and
mudstone. It varies in thickness usually between 30 & 60 metres
(Adeleye, 1972).
Fossils are rare and those that have been recovered from it are not
age-diagnostic. Adeleye (1972; 1979) assigned a Maastrichtian age
to it while Whiteman (1982) assigned it a Campanian age.

(iv) Batati Ironstone: This unit is oolitic ironstone consisting of

brown, yellow to white goethitic and kaolinitic oolites in a yellow
limonitic silty matrix. Due to erosion, the formation’s thickness
varies from 0.3 to 15 metres (Adeleye, 1972).
Adeleye (1972), indicated that the formation is not older than the
Maastrichtian based on the marine fauna of molluscs and worms
recovered from it. Whiteman (1982), however, considers it
Campanian in age on paleogeographic basis.
B. LOKOJA AREA:
(i) Lokoja Sandstone: This unit consists of pebbly and clayey grit
and sandstone, coarse-grained false-bedded sandstone, and few
thin oolitic ironstones. A basal conglomerate of well-rounded quartz
pebbles in a matrix of white clay is rarely exposed. Its thickness
depends on the relief of the underlying Basement Complex floor and
varies between 100 and 300 metres (Dessauvagie, 1975).
(ii) Patti Formation: This is a sequence of fine to medium-grained,
grey and white sandstones, carbonaceous siltstone and shale, and
oolitic ironstone. Thin coal seams may be present and white gritty
clays are common. The maximum exposed thickness is 70 m (Jones,
1958), while the oolitic ironstones range from seven to 16 m thick.
The strata yielded a few non-diagnostic plant remains (Dessauvagie,
1975). A Maastrichtian (& possibly Senonian) age was thus assigned
to it based mainly on correlation with other formations e.g. the
Nupe Sandstone and Enugu Shale of Campano–Maastrichtian age.
Adediran & Jan du Chêne (1979) and Petters (1979) have recorded a
palynomorph assemblage and a foraminiferal fauna respectively
from the Lokoja area. The microfauna is considered to be a marsh
assemblage. The palynomorphs are made up mainly of pollen and
spores, the assemblage of which is indicative of a Maastrichtian age
(Adediran & Jan du Chêne, op. cit.). Dessauvagie (1975) indicates
that Patti Formation’s yielded fossil plants (from the carbonaceous
beds) date it Campanian to Maastrichtian.
More recently, Ojo [2009] reported a rich and well-preserved
palynomorph assemblage from the black shale outcrop samples of
the Patti Formation collected between Kotonkarfi and Abaji and
between Lokoja and Agbaja. Constituted by marine dinocysts and
the more copius continental sporomorphs, the assemblage is
considered to be a confirmation evidence for the Late Cretaceous
Tethys - South Atlantic connection through the Nupe Basin. The
dinoflagellate forms recovered are diverse species of Spiniferites,
Dinogymnium, Senegalinium, and Andalusiella.
Maastrichtian palynomorph species recovered from the shales [Ojo,
2009] include the dinocysts: Dinogymnium acuminatum, D. digitus,
Paleocystodinium australinium, Senegalinium bicavatum, and S.
psilatum and sporomorphs Buttinia andreevi, Cristaeturites
cristatus, and Retidiporites magdalenensis. These confirm the
established Maastrichtian age for part of the Patti Formation.

ECONOMIC DEPOSITS:
The economic mineral deposits in the basin are largely industrial
minerals. They include iron ores, clays, and sandstones. The latter
make excellent aquifers.
01. IRON ORES: The ironstones, both oolitic and pisolitic, are the
important economic minerals of the basin. Around Lokoja, the
plateaux capped by ironstones cover about 100 square miles
(Adeleye, 1976). The oolitic ironstones are more than 12 metres
thick over large areas. The iron ore present in the Lokoja area alone
may be as large as 7,000 million tons (Adeleye, 1976). It is
significant that the overburden in this area is a relatively low-grade
ore, assaying 28.2 to 48.7 % iron.
The origin of the ironstones is not clear. Various possibilities have
been proposed for it (cf. Falconer, 1911; du Preez & Jones, 1953;
Jones, 1955; Pullan, 1967; Adeleye, 1973, 1976).
According to Adeleye (1973, 1976), the interbedded oolitic ironstone
seems to be of sedimentary origin, with the iron oolitic ironstone
possibly introduced after deposition. By contrast, the upper oolitic
ironstone may partly have a lateritic origin and may therefore occur
at different levels above the siltstone. The presence of marine
fossils at a few localities, however, suggests deposition of marine
sediments under conditions similar to those of the lower oolitic
horizon.
More recently, Mücke et al. (1999) argued that Agbaja Ironstone,
which constitutes a major part of the about two billion tons of iron
ore reserves of the basin, is not of the Minette-type.
TABLE: IRON ORE DEPOSITS IN THE BIDA [NUPE OR MIDDLE NIGER] BASIN
Deposit or Occurrence Agbaja Patti
Geological origin Sedimentary Oolitc
Ore type Geothite and
Hydrothite
Total Fe (%) 47.8
Fe in concentrate 52.1
Estimated Resource (million 370-5,000
tonnes)
SOURCE: NGSA [2010]

02. CLAY DEPOSITS: Some whitish, sandy, kaolinitic claystones have

also been reported in various localities in the basin. Near the top of
the prominent plateaux around Lokoja, up to five metre-band of
pure kaolin with about a metre of black shale parting has been
reported (Hazel, 1950). The claystone may be useful in the ceramic
industry, in addition to its utility as fire-clay.
03. PETROLEUM PROSPECTS: No commercial petroleum deposits are
known in the Nupe Basin. Lokoja and Patti formations outcrop
samples collected from the Ahoko road cut section on the Lokoja–
Abaji road were subjected to hydrocarbon prospects geochemical
evaluation by Obaje et al. [2006]. The Total Organic Carbon [TOC]
values and liptinite contents are relatively high in the samples.
However, the Tmax values [hydrocarbon generative potential of the
organic matter] and Ts / Tm and moretane / hopane [biomarker]
ratios indicate that the mainly gaseous hydrocarbons probably just
being generated there may not yet be expelled nor migrated in large
quantities. These findings are largely consistent to those of Ehinola
et al. [2005]. Yet, it is noteworthy that some hydrocarbon seepages
have been reported along the Niger River bank around Pategi and
Mokwa (Philip Shekwolo, 2003, personal communications in Obaje et
al., 2006).